Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

राज्यकर्मणि दक्षश्च शूरः परबलार्दनः । त्वदीयो द्विजमात्रोऽपि तव तुष्टिं करिष्यति

Transliteration

rājyakarmaṇi dakṣaśca śūraḥ parabalārdanaḥ | tvadīyo dvijamātro'pi tava tuṣṭiṃ kariṣyati

Translation

سيكون حاذقًا في شؤون المُلك وواجبات السلطان، شجاعًا، ساحقًا لقوى الأعداء. وإن كان لا يعدو أن يكون دْوِجًا (ثنائيَّ الميلاد) بالولادة، فإنه مع ذلك سيُرضيك ويُقرّ عينك.

Word by Word

• rājya-karmaṇi: in royal duties/governance
• rājya-karmaṇi: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘kingdom’ + ‘duty/administration’)

• dakṣaḥ: skilled, capable
• dakṣaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): ‘and’

• śūraḥ: brave
• śūraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• para-bala-ardanaḥ: destroyer of the enemy’s forces
• para-bala-ardanaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + ardana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘enemy/other’ + ‘army’ + ‘crusher’)

• tvadīyaḥ: your (belonging to you)
• tvadīyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvadīya (प्रातिपदिक; from yusmad)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• dvija-mātraḥ: a mere brahmin (only a brahmin)
• dvija-mātraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘brahmin’ + ‘mere/only’)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): ‘even/also’

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tuṣṭim: satisfaction, pleasure
• tuṣṭim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kariṣyati: will do, will bring about
• kariṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator/speaker within the story (not explicitly named in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prophetic description of the future son: adept in royal duties, heroic, crushing enemies; despite being ‘only’ dvija by birth, he will satisfy the addressed lady.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A worthy heir is praised by virtues of rajadharma—competence, courage, and protection of society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha name appears in this verse; it remains within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya setting of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it describes the expected qualities and outcomes of the sought-for son.