Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

ये प्रजाः पालयंतीह पुत्रानेव निजौरसान् । दंडयंति च धर्मेण भूपास्तेऽस्य सभासदः

Transliteration

ye prajāḥ pālayaṃtīha putrāneva nijaurasān | daṃḍayaṃti ca dharmeṇa bhūpāste'sya sabhāsadaḥ

Translation

جو بادشاہ یہاں رعایا کی حفاظت اپنے حقیقی بیٹوں کی طرح کرتے ہیں اور دھرم کے مطابق سزا دیتے ہیں—وہی حکمران یم کے دربار کے رکن ہوتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• प्रजाः: subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• पालयन्ति: protect, govern
• पालयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• इव: like, as
• इव: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक-निपात (particle of comparison)

• निज: own
• निज: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• औरसान्: born of one’s body, natural (sons)
• औरसान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औरस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दण्डयन्ति: punish
• दण्डयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दण्डय् (धातु; दण्ड् + णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

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

• धर्मेण: by righteousness, according to dharma
• धर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• भूपाः: kings
• भूपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संकेत-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• अस्य: of this (kingdom/person)
• अस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सभासदः: councillors, members of the assembly
• सभासदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा + सद् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सभा-सम्बन्धी सदः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A righteous king on a lion-throne listens to petitions, protects families, and orders measured punishment; in the background, Yama’s court with Citragupta records the king’s deeds, welcoming him as a sabhāsad.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Bhūpa (Kings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous governance is sacred service: protection with compassion and punishment with dharma aligns a king with cosmic justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting; the verse itself focuses on rāja-dharma rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it prescribes ethical statecraft—fair protection and dharmic discipline.