Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

धर्मराजः समाकर्ण्य चित्रगुप्तमुखादिति । निर्भर्त्स्य तं दुराचारं किंकरानादिदेश ह

Transliteration

dharmarājaḥ samākarṇya citraguptamukhāditi | nirbhartsya taṃ durācāraṃ kiṃkarānādideśa ha

Translation

چترگپت کے منہ سے یہ سن کر دھرم راج نے اس بدکردار کو ڈانٹا، پھر اپنے کِنکروں (خادموں) کو حکم دیا۔

Word by Word

• धर्मराजः: Dharmarāja (Yama)
• धर्मराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य राजा)

• समाकर्ण्य: having heard
• समाकर्ण्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having heard’

• चित्रगुप्तमुखात्: from the mouth of Citragupta
• चित्रगुप्तमुखात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रगुप्त-मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (चित्रगुप्तस्य मुखम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotative marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative)

• निर्भर्त्स्य: having rebuked
• निर्भर्त्स्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-√भर्त्स् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) रूपेण प्रयोगः; ‘having rebuked’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दुराचारम्: evil-doer / one of bad conduct
• दुराचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुराचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—नञ्/उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष (दुष्टः आचारः यस्य)

• किंकरान्: the attendants/servants
• किंकरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• आदिदेश: commanded/ordered
• आदिदेश: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√दिश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic/expletive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta) implied as realm where Yama’s judgment is overcome by Śiva’s taraka-grace

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal court scene: Dharmarāja enthroned, stern gaze; Citragupta stands with ledger/palm-leaf register, reading aloud; attendants (kiṅkaras) await orders; the condemned stands trembling.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Citragupta
• Kiṃkaras (Yama’s attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deeds are accounted for and judged; adharma is confronted by Dharma itself through Yama’s court.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it narrates the karmic adjudication motif within Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the process of judgment (Citragupta’s report and Yama’s command).