Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

शिवशर्मोवाच । साक्षादयं धर्मराजो ननु सौम्यतराकृतिः । धर्म्याण्येव वचांस्यस्य मनः प्रीतिकराणि च

Transliteration

śivaśarmovāca | sākṣādayaṃ dharmarājo nanu saumyatarākṛtiḥ | dharmyāṇyeva vacāṃsyasya manaḥ prītikarāṇi ca

Translation

ศิวศรมากล่าวว่า: “ผู้นี้คือธรรมราชโดยแท้ แต่รูปกายกลับอ่อนโยนยิ่งนัก วาจาของท่านล้วนชอบธรรม และยังทำให้จิตใจยินดี”

Word by Word

• शिवशर्मा: Śivaśarmā
• शिवशर्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-भाव (adverb)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धर्मराजः: Dharma-king (Yama)
• धर्मराजः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य राजा)

• ननु: indeed?, surely
• ननु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ननु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/आश्चर्यसूचक-निपात

• सौम्यतराकृतिः: (has) a gentler form
• सौम्यतराकृतिः: Visheshana (Predicate nominal/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौम्यतर (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सौम्यतरा आकृतिः)

• धर्म्याणि: righteous
• धर्म्याणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात

• वचांसि: words
• वचांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma (Object affected/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रीतिकराणि: pleasing, causing joy
• प्रीतिकराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रीतिं करोति इति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

Speaker

Śivaśarmā (Vipra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śivaśarmā, a brāhmaṇa, speaks with wonder: Dharmarāja stands with a gentle face, calm eyes, and a composed posture; his speech is visualized as soothing—listeners’ faces soften, indicating ‘mano-prīti’.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarmā
• Dharmarāja (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine justice is not merely fearsome; to the dhārmic, Dharmarāja appears gentle and speaks mind-delighting truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kāśī is upheld as a place shaping dharmic vision; the verse itself centers on Dharmarāja’s nature.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an observation about dharmic speech and perception.