Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

न राज्यं राज्यमित्याहू राज्यश्रीः प्रेयसी ध्रुवम् । सप्तांगमपि तद्राज्यं तया हीनं तृणायते

Transliteration

na rājyaṃ rājyamityāhū rājyaśrīḥ preyasī dhruvam | saptāṃgamapi tadrājyaṃ tayā hīnaṃ tṛṇāyate

Translation

“เขากล่าวกันว่า อาณาจักรมิใช่ ‘อาณาจักร’ โดยแท้; ศรีแห่งราชอำนาจนั้นแน่นอนคือหญิงอันเป็นที่รัก แม้รัฐที่พร้อมด้วยองค์เจ็ดประการ หากปราศจากนาง ก็ไร้ค่าเพียงหญ้า”

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राज्यम्: (true) kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदी

• राज्यश्रीः: royal fortune, prosperity of the kingdom
• राज्यश्रीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य + श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—राज्यस्य श्रीः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• प्रेयसी: beloved (wife)
• प्रेयसी: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेयसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् (indeclinable adverbial use)

• सप्ताङ्गम्: having seven limbs (seven constituents)
• सप्ताङ्गम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (सप्त अङ्गानि यस्य)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying राज्यम्)

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (refers to preyasī)

• हीनम्: deprived (of)
• हीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying राज्यम्)

• तृणायते: is (worth) like straw
• तृणायते: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृणाय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी; ‘तृणायते’ = becomes like grass / is considered as straw

Speaker

Mālyaketu (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic composition: the seven emblems of kingship (army, treasury, ministers, fort, etc.) shown diminished or fading, while Kalāvatī stands radiant; the king points to her as true ‘rājyaśrī’.

Characters & Entities

• Mālyaketu
• Kalāvatī
• Saptāṅga-rājya (seven-limbed state)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even perfected worldly systems are secondary to inner fulfillment and dharmic commitment; external power is hollow without the heart’s anchor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is not a direct tīrtha-praise; it supports the storyline that leads toward Kāśī’s sacred merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the teaching is ethical and contemplative.