Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सोभूत्पुण्यजनाधीशो रिपुराक्षसवर्धनः । जगत्प्राणसमानश्च जगत्प्राणनतत्परः

Transliteration

sobhūtpuṇyajanādhīśo ripurākṣasavardhanaḥ | jagatprāṇasamānaśca jagatprāṇanatatparaḥ

Translation

وہ نیک بندوں میں سردار بنا، دشمن راکشسوں کی ہلاکت بڑھانے والا؛ دنیا کی سانس کی مانند، وہ جگت کی جان کو قائم رکھنے میں ہمہ وقت کوشاں تھا۔

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पुण्यजन-अधीशः: lord of the blessed beings (yakṣas etc.)
• पुण्यजन-अधीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्यजन + अधीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यजनानाम् अधीशः)

• रिपु-राक्षस-वर्धनः: one who increases the enemies/demons (i.e., makes them grow in fear/strength)
• रिपु-राक्षस-वर्धनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु + राक्षस + वर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रिपुराक्षसानां वर्धनः)

• जगत्-प्राण-समाणः: equal to the life-breath of the world
• जगत्-प्राण-समाणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जगत् + प्राण + समान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः प्राणैः समानः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• जगत्-प्राण-नतत्परः: not intent on (destroying) the world’s life-breath
• जगत्-प्राण-नतत्परः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जगत् + प्राण + न + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वपदयुक्त तत्पुरुषः (जगत्प्राणे न तत्परः = not intent on harming the world’s life)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king stands among grateful sādhus and citizens; shadowy rākṣasa-like figures retreat; a subtle prāṇa motif—flowing light or breath—radiates from the protector into the city.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasas
• Divodāsa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The dharmic ruler lives for loka-saṅgraha (world-sustaining order): nurturing the good and restraining destructive forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sanctity is reinforced through the ideal of its protector; the setting remains the Vārāṇasī-centered narrative of this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is doctrinal and laudatory rather than ritualistic.