Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

यद्राष्ट्रे हृष्टपुष्टाश्च दृश्यंते सर्वजातयः । अनिंद्यसेवा संपन्ना विनामृगयु सौनिकान्

Transliteration

yadrāṣṭre hṛṣṭapuṣṭāśca dṛśyaṃte sarvajātayaḥ | aniṃdyasevā saṃpannā vināmṛgayu saunikān

Translation

ଯେ ରାଜ୍ୟରେ ସମସ୍ତ ଜାତି ହୃଷ୍ଟ ଓ ପୁଷ୍ଟ ଦେଖାଯାନ୍ତି, ନିନ୍ଦାରହିତ ସେବାବୃତ୍ତିରେ ସମ୍ପନ୍ନ ରହନ୍ତି, ଏବଂ ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ଶିକାରୀ ଓ କସାଇ ନାହାନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• यत्: in which
• यत्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular) — 'यद्' used correlatively with 'तद्' (implicit)

• राष्ट्रे: in the kingdom
• राष्ट्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• हृष्टपुष्टाः: happy and well-nourished
• हृष्टपुष्टाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट + पुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) (agreeing with जातयः), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); both are क्त (PPP) used adjectivally

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वजातयः: all castes/classes
• सर्वजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अनिन्द्यसेवाः: having blameless conduct/service
• अनिन्द्यसेवाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिन्द्य + सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural) (agreeing with जातयः)

• सम्पन्नाः: prosperous, endowed
• सम्पन्नाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + पद् → सम्पन्न (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); 'सम्पन्न' = क्त (PPP)

• विना: without, except
• विना: Apādāna/Exclusion (Separation/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition-like particle) governing द्वितीया (accusative)

• मृगयु: hunters
• मृगयु: Karma (Object of exclusion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगयु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural) (expected; text shows uninflected stem-like form)

• सौनिकान्: butchers
• सौनिकान्: Karma (Object of exclusion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौनिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A peaceful Kāśī kingdom: diverse communities thriving, markets of grains and flowers, service professions shown as clean and honorable; no scenes of hunting or slaughter; cows and pilgrims safe; temples in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic realm is measured by the wellbeing of all and by livelihoods that are ethically blameless and non-violent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is idealized as a kingdom where prosperity and dharma coexist, reflecting its sacred character.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; the prescription is social-ethical: cultivate non-violent, blameless occupations and communal wellbeing.