Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

प्रजाः पालयतस्तस्य पुत्रानिव निजौरसान् । रिपुंजयस्य नाल्पोपि बभूवाधर्मसंग्रहः

Transliteration

prajāḥ pālayatastasya putrāniva nijaurasān | ripuṃjayasya nālpopi babhūvādharmasaṃgrahaḥ

Translation

ਉਹ ਆਪਣੀ ਪ੍ਰਜਾ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਆਪਣੇ ਸੱਚੇ ਜਨਮੇ ਪੁੱਤਰਾਂ ਵਾਂਗ ਕਰਦਾ ਸੀ; ਇਸ ਲਈ ਰਿਪੁੰਜਯ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਧਰਮ ਦਾ ਰਤਾ ਭਰ ਵੀ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਹ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋਇਆ।

Word by Word

• प्रजाः: subjects / people
• प्रजाः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• पालयतः: of (him) protecting
• पालयतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पालयत् (पाल् धातोः शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ (Present active participle), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (genitive absolute sense: 'of him who was protecting')

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Upamana/Upameya (उपमान/उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• इव: like
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• निज: one's own
• निज: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• औरसान्: born of his own body
• औरसान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औरस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (legitimate/biological)

• निजौरसान्: his own true-born (sons)
• निजौरसान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज + औरस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (own + legitimate)

• रिपुञ्जयस्य: of Ripuṃjaya
• रिपुञ्जयस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपुञ्जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun); समासः: रिपून् जयति इति

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• अल्पः: small / slight
• अल्पः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अपि: even
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक निपात (even/also)

• नाल्पोऽपि: not even a little
• नाल्पोऽपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न + अल्पः + अपि (अव्यय/पदसमूह)
• Form: न+अल्पः (प्रथमा एकवचन) + अपि; संधिः: न+अल्पः→नाल्पः, अल्पः+अपि→अल्पोऽपि

• बभूव: was / occurred
• बभूव: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अधर्मसंग्रहः: accumulation of unrighteousness
• अधर्मसंग्रहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म + संग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अधर्मस्य संग्रहः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Ripuṃjaya seated in court, listening to petitions; he shelters citizens—farmers, ascetics, merchants—like children under a protective canopy.

Characters & Entities

• Ripuṃjaya
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rājadharma is fulfilled by parental care for subjects; such rule prevents the growth of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī-kṣetra narrative frame, but it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a governance ideal (rājadharma) rather than a ritual.