Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30
स एव दंड्योऽभूत्तस्य राज्ञो मित्रजितः क्षितौ । यो विष्णुभक्तिरहितः प्राणैरपि धनैरपि
sa eva daṃḍyo'bhūttasya rājño mitrajitaḥ kṣitau | yo viṣṇubhaktirahitaḥ prāṇairapi dhanairapi
زمین پر بادشاہ مِترجِت کے عہد میں صرف وہی شخص سزا کے لائق ٹھہرتا تھا جو وِشنو کی بھکتی سے خالی ہو—چاہے جان کے معاملے میں ہو یا مال کے۔
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: Royal court of Mitrajit: the king holds a scepter of justice; a lone offender stands aside marked not for crime against persons but for irreverence/lack of devotion; behind, devotees offer lamps to Hari, showing the realm’s standard.
FAQs
Bhakti is presented as the central public virtue; society is protected by aligning rule with devotion and dharma.
The Kāśī-kṣetra setting (Kāśīkhaṇḍa) where devotion is portrayed as the highest civic principle.
No specific rite; the verse stresses adherence to Viṣṇu-bhakti as a normative dharmic requirement.