Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

प्रजासु च विरक्तासु राज्यकामदुघासु वै । कृच्छ्रेणोपार्जितोऽपार्थो राजशब्दो भविष्यति

Transliteration

prajāsu ca viraktāsu rājyakāmadughāsu vai | kṛcchreṇopārjito'pārtho rājaśabdo bhaviṣyati

Translation

เมื่อประชาราษฎร์เกิดความเบื่อหน่าย—แม้ราชอาณาจักรจะดุจโคให้น้ำนมที่มอบผลประโยชน์อันพึงปรารถนาทั้งปวง—นามว่า “พระราชา” ที่ได้มาด้วยความยากลำบากก็กลับกลวงเปล่าไร้ความหมาย

Word by Word

• प्रजासु: among the subjects/people
• प्रजासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विरक्तासु: (when they are) disaffected/estranged
• विरक्तासु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरक्त (कृदन्त; वि-√रञ्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) विशेषण

• राज्यकामदुघासु: yielding the desired fruits of kingship
• राज्यकामदुघासु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राज्य + काम + दुह् (धातु) → दुघा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (राज्यकामं दुहन्ति इति) विशेषण

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कृच्छ्रेण: with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव (instrumental: with difficulty)

• उपार्जितः: acquired/earned
• उपार्जितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपार्जित (कृदन्त; उप-√अर्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP)

• अपार्थः: meaningless/without real value
• अपार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (negation) विशेषण

• राजशब्दः: the word/title ‘king’
• राजशब्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राज्ञः शब्दः)

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary king on a throne whose insignia (crown, parasol) appear heavy and fading, while the people turn away; the city of Kāśī glows in the background, suggesting a higher, enduring sovereignty of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Prajā (subjects)
• Rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority without the goodwill and welfare of the people becomes empty; dharma sustains kingship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kashi framework, but this specific line teaches rāja-dharma rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is an ethical instruction on governance and duty.