Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अदंड्यान्दंडयांचक्रे दंड्येष्वासीत्पराङमुखः । सदैव मृगयाशीलः सोऽभून्मृगयु संगतः

Transliteration

adaṃḍyāndaṃḍayāṃcakre daṃḍyeṣvāsītparāṅamukhaḥ | sadaiva mṛgayāśīlaḥ so'bhūnmṛgayu saṃgataḥ

Translation

ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦੰਡ ਨਹੀਂ ਦੇਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਸੀ, ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਦੰਡ ਦਿੱਤਾ; ਅਤੇ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦੰਡਯੋਗ ਸੀ, ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਉਹ ਮੁੜ ਗਿਆ। ਸਦਾ ਸ਼ਿਕਾਰ ਦਾ ਆਦੀ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਉਹ ਸ਼ਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਸੰਗਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਹਿਣ ਲੱਗਾ।

Word by Word

• adaṃḍyān: the unpunishable (persons)
• adaṃḍyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- (नञ्) + daṃḍya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; कर्मपद (those not to be punished)

• daṃḍayām: with punishment/penalty
• daṃḍayām: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃḍayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• cakre: did, inflicted
• cakre: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• daṃḍyeṣu: towards/among those punishable
• daṃḍyeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃḍya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• parāṅmukhaḥ: turned away, indifferent
• parāṅmukhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parāṅmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (turned away)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kālādhi karaṇa (Time adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• mṛgayā-śīlaḥ: habitually hunting
• mṛgayā-śīlaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛgayā (प्रातिपदिक) + śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mṛgayāyāḥ śīlaḥ)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• abhūt: became
• abhūt: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mṛgayuḥ: a hunter
• mṛgayuḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgayu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• saṃgataḥ: associated (with), joined
• saṃgataḥ: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√gam (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle) क्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय (having associated)

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split scene: on one side, innocent people being punished while guilty escape; on the other, the king in a forest hunt with hunters, surrounded by slain deer—symbolizing moral blindness and violent addiction.

Characters & Entities

• Durdama (implied)
• hunters (mṛgayu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Injustice and bad company destroy kingship: dharma requires discerning punishment, self-control, and righteous associations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the verse advances a cautionary royal legend within the Kāśī māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes ethical governance—fair justice and avoidance of degrading habits.