Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

दंडः परशुकुद्दाल वालव्य जनराजिषु । आतपत्रेषु नान्यत्र क्वचित्क्रोधापराधजः

Transliteration

daṃḍaḥ paraśukuddāla vālavya janarājiṣu | ātapatreṣu nānyatra kvacitkrodhāparādhajaḥ

Translation

جہاں عوام کے ہجوم میں ‘دَند’ محض کلہاڑیاں، بیلچے اور کھردرے اوزار بن جائیں؛ اور مرتبے کے چھتروں کے سوا کہیں کچھ نظر نہ آئے، سوائے غصّے اور جرم سے جنم لینے والی سزاؤں کے—وہاں دھرم مرجھا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• दण्डः: punishment, rod
• दण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• परशु: axe
• परशु: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र समाहार-निर्देश (as item)

• कुद्दाल: spade, hoe
• कुद्दाल: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुद्दाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र समाहार-निर्देश (as item)

• वालव्य: a club/implement (vālavya)
• वालव्य: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपकरण-नाम (tool/implement)

• जनराजिषु: among rows/crowds of people
• जनराजिषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन + राजि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• आतपत्रेषु: in umbrellas/parasols
• आतपत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतपत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: elsewhere)

• क्वचित्: somewhere, at any time
• क्वचित्: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite: somewhere/ever)

• क्रोधापराधजः: arising from anger and offence
• क्रोधापराधजः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध + अपराध + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘दण्डः’); ‘ज’ = उत्पत्तिवाचक (born of)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowd where ‘punishment’ appears as axes and spades raised in anger; parasols of rank float above, symbolizing hollow authority; opposite, Kāśī shows orderly procession with priests, lamps, and calm guardians.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rule driven by anger and crude force signals the absence of dharma; righteous discipline must be rooted in moral law, not wrath.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised implicitly as a dharmic realm, contrasted with places where social order collapses into violence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, reinforcing the Mahātmya by contrasting dharmic and adharmic governance.