Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वादृष्ट्वा मया रत्नं यत्किंचिद्धरणीतले । तद्वै बलाद्धृतं सर्वं सर्वेषामिह देहिनाम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvādṛṣṭvā mayā ratnaṃ yatkiṃciddharaṇītale | tadvai balāddhṛtaṃ sarvaṃ sarveṣāmiha dehinām

Translation

পৃথিবীতলে আমি যে কোনো রত্ন বা যা কিছুই দেখতাম, তা বলপূর্বক কেড়ে নিতাম; এখানে সকল জীবের সবকিছুই হরণ করতাম।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having seen’

• अदृष्ट्वा: without seeing
• अदृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न + √दृश् (धातु) + त्वा
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त्वान्त-अव्यय: ‘without seeing’

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे कर्ता

• रत्नम्: jewel; treasure
• रत्नम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• किञ्चित्: anything at all
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक

• धरणीतले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणीतले: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणीतल = धरणी + तल (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘धरण्याः तलम्’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘तत् (सर्वम्)’ इत्यर्थे कर्म

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय; अवधारण/प्रत्ययार्थे (emphatic particle)

• बलात्: by force
• बलात्: Hetu (Cause/Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपं; अव्ययीभावेन ‘बलात्’ = ‘बलपूर्वकं/जबरदस्ती’ (ablatival adverb)

• धृतम्: taken; seized
• धृतम्: Kriyā (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘(तत्) धृतम्’

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्म-सम्बन्धे ‘समस्तम्’

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सामान्य), षष्ठी-बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Deśādhiकरण (Spatial adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (same repentant former king speaking)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāmuni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic scene of the king’s men seizing jewels and goods from households and merchants; the king’s gaze fixed on treasure, while victims plead.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Forceful appropriation of others’ wealth is adharma; such actions bind the soul and necessitate repentance and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it serves as the confession that precedes the tīrtha’s saving power described later.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse details wrongdoing that the tīrtha will later counteract through sacred contact.