Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

एवं बहु विनिंद्य स्वं नत्वा धर्मेश्वरं विभुम् । आरुह्याश्वं ययौ राजा दुर्दमो विषयं स्वकम्

Transliteration

evaṃ bahu viniṃdya svaṃ natvā dharmeśvaraṃ vibhum | āruhyāśvaṃ yayau rājā durdamo viṣayaṃ svakam

Translation

ครั้นตำหนิตนเองอยู่นานดังนี้แล้ว และนอบน้อมแด่พระธรรเมศวรผู้ทรงเดชานุภาพ พระราชาทุรทมะจึงขึ้นม้าและเสด็จกลับสู่อาณาจักรของพระองค์

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus)

• बहु: much, greatly
• बहु: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverb: much)

• विनिन्द्य: having reproached
• विनिन्द्य: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• स्वम्: himself
• स्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; आत्मवाचक (oneself)

• नत्वा: having bowed
• नत्वा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• धर्मेश्वरम्: Lord of Dharma
• धर्मेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य ईश्वरः)

• विभुम्: the mighty, all-pervading
• विभुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (धर्मेश्वरम् इति)

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• अश्वम्: horse
• अश्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दुर्दमः: hard to restrain, unruly
• दुर्दमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (दुर्दम्यः/दमनं दुष्करं यस्य सः)

• विषयम्: territory, domain
• विषयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वकम्: his own
• स्वकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विषयम् इति)

Speaker

Skanda (narration context: Kāśīkhaṇḍa, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmēśvara (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king bows before Dharmēśvara, then mounts a horse and departs; attendants follow; the temple recedes behind, suggesting the kṣetra’s blessing accompanying him back to his land.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmēśvara
• Durdama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Repentance becomes complete when sealed by devotion—bowing to Dharmēśvara—and then acted upon in one’s worldly duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmēśvara in Kāśī, a focal shrine of Dharma and transformation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (bowing) to Dharmēśvara is explicitly mentioned; other rites are not specified here.