Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58
राज्ञां क्रतुक्रियाभ्योपि तीर्थेभ्योपि समंततः । प्रजापालनमेवैको धर्मः प्रोक्तो मनीषिभिः
rājñāṃ kratukriyābhyopi tīrthebhyopi samaṃtataḥ | prajāpālanamevaiko dharmaḥ prokto manīṣibhiḥ
بادشاہوں کے لیے، یَجْیَہ کے اعمال سے بھی بڑھ کر اور ہر سمت کے تیرتھوں کی یاترا سے بھی بڑھ کر، داناؤں نے ایک ہی اعلیٰ ترین دھرم بتایا ہے: رعایا کی نگہبانی اور پرورش۔
A dharmaśīla king (addressing a Brāhmaṇa)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A didactic tableau: sages or a brāhmaṇa teacher points to a symbolic scale—on one side yajña implements and tīrtha maps, on the other a protective umbrella over citizens—showing prajā-pālana outweighing ritual travel.
FAQs
Dharma is measured by responsibility: for rulers, safeguarding subjects outweighs personal religious merit-seeking.
While tīrthas are mentioned generally, the discourse is situated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa tradition centered on Kāśī.
The verse relativizes rituals and pilgrimages, placing prajā-pālana (just protection) as the king’s primary ‘rite’.