Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

इंद्रादयः सुराः कच्चित्स्वेषु स्वेषु पुरेष्वहो । राज्यं प्रशासति स्वस्थाः कृष्णदोर्दंडपालिताः

Transliteration

iṃdrādayaḥ surāḥ kaccitsveṣu sveṣu pureṣvaho | rājyaṃ praśāsati svasthāḥ kṛṣṇadordaṃḍapālitāḥ

Translation

พระอินทร์และเหล่าเทวะทั้งหลาย ในมหานครของตน ๆ ยังปกครองราชย์โดยสวัสดีอยู่หรือไม่—มั่นคงภายใต้พละแห่งพระกรของพระกฤษณะดุจคทาแห่งอำนาจอธิปไตย?

Word by Word

• इन्द्रादयः: Indra and others
• इन्द्रादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—इन्द्रः आदिः येषाम् (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः, रूपतः तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कच्चित्: whether?
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात

• स्वेषु: in their own
• स्वेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• स्वेषु: respective
• स्वेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति

• पुरेषु: in cities
• पुरेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• अहो: indeed/ah
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मय/सम्बोधन-निपात (ah!/indeed)

• राज्यम्: kingdom/rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रशासति: governs/rules
• प्रशासति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शास् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (सामान्यतः कर्ता बहुवचन अपेक्षितः—अत्र सामूहिक-कर्तृभावेन एकवचन-प्रयोगः सम्भवः)

• स्वस्थाः: secure/at ease
• स्वस्थाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—स्वे स्थः (स्व + स्थ) = स्वस्थ (well/at ease)

• कृष्णदोर्दण्डपालिताः: protected by Kṛṣṇa’s arm-staff (might)
• कृष्णदोर्दण्डपालिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + दोर् + दण्ड + पालित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कृष्णस्य दोर्दण्डेन पालिताः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास); पालित = कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, 'protected') विशेषणरूपेण

Speaker

Śiva (Śambhu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual) / Deva-loka (narrative)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame; not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra and devas in their jeweled cities, ruling in peace; above or behind them, an implied Kṛṣṇa arm as a protective staff (daṇḍa) symbol, suggesting divine guardianship over sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Suras (gods)
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right order in heaven and earth depends on divine protection and disciplined rule; sovereignty is strongest when aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse reinforces the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s cosmic frame that supports Kāśī’s sacred preeminence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns the well-being and governance of the gods under divine protection.