Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

इत्थं द्विजेंद्र निजभृत्यगणान्सदैव संशिक्षयेदवनिगान्स हि धर्मराजः । अन्येपि ये हरिहरांकधरा धरायां ते दूरतः पुनरहो परिवर्जनीयाः

Transliteration

itthaṃ dvijeṃdra nijabhṛtyagaṇānsadaiva saṃśikṣayedavanigānsa hi dharmarājaḥ | anyepi ye hariharāṃkadharā dharāyāṃ te dūrataḥ punaraho parivarjanīyāḥ

Translation

ดังนี้แล โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ ธรรมราชา (ยมะ) ย่อมสั่งสอนบริวารของตนอยู่เสมอ และผู้ใดบนแผ่นดินที่เพียงถือเครื่องหมายภายนอกของหริและหระ หากความประพฤติไม่บริสุทธิ์ ก็พึงหลีกให้ไกล

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus/in this manner
• इत्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• द्विजेन्द्र: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानाम् इन्द्रः)

• निजभृत्यगणान्: his own groups of servants
• निजभृत्यगणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + भृत्य + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (निजाः भृत्यगणाः)

• सदैव: always
• सदैव: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• संशिक्षयेत्: should instruct/train
• संशिक्षयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + शिक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अवनिगान्: kings/rulers
• अवनिगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनि + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अवनेः गाः/गाः इव; अवनिगः = राजा/भूपः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal)

• धर्मराजः: Dharmarāja
• धर्मराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य राजा)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; also/even)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• हरिहराङ्कधराः: those bearing the mark/emblem of Hari and Hara
• हरिहराङ्कधराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि + हर + अङ्क + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (हरि-हरयोः अङ्कं धारयन्ति ये/हरिहराङ्कधरा)

• धरायाम्: on the earth
• धरायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• दूरतः: from afar
• दूरतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतस् (अव्यय/तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from afar)

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: again/further)

• अहो: alas/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय/उद्गार-अव्यय (interjection)

• परिवर्जनीयाः: are to be avoided
• परिवर्जनीयाः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + वर्जनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वर्ज् धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भाव्य/कर्तव्य (gerundive), ‘to be avoided’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; addressing a Brahmin listener within Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijendra (‘O best of Brahmins’ explicitly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharmarāja instructs Yamadūtas in a stern yet just court; in a contrasting vignette, pretenders wearing sectarian marks are shown being avoided/flagged from afar due to impure conduct.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Hara (Śiva)
• Yama’s attendants (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer religious symbols are not substitutes for righteous conduct; dharma is proven by character, not costume.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered teaching, emphasizing the moral standards expected in a liberation-giving sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes ethical discernment—avoiding association with those who misuse sacred emblems.