Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । पूजिता अपि सद्भक्त्या विधानेन तथा ग्रहाः । पीडयंति पुरं राज्ञः सपुत्रपशुबांधवम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | pūjitā api sadbhaktyā vidhānena tathā grahāḥ | pīḍayaṃti puraṃ rājñaḥ saputrapaśubāṃdhavam

Translation

Die Brahmanen sprachen: „Obwohl die Grahas (Planeten) mit wahrer Bhakti und nach rechter Vorschrift verehrt wurden, bedrängen sie dennoch die Stadt des Königs – samt seinen Söhnen, seinem Vieh und seinen Verwandten.“

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पूजिताः: worshipped
• पूजिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ‘ग्रहाः’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थः ‘even/also’

• सद्भक्त्या: with true devotion
• सद्भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सद् + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः ‘सत्-भक्ति’ (good/devout devotion)

• विधानेन: by the prescribed rite/method
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अर्थः ‘thus/so’

• ग्रहाः: planets (grahas)
• ग्रहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• पीडयन्ति: afflict
• पीडयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• सपुत्रपशुबान्धवम्: (the city) with sons, cattle, and kinsmen
• सपुत्रपशुबान्धवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पुत्र + पशु + बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (possessive): ‘having sons, cattle, and relatives’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘पुरम्’

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (collective)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) the king/assembly; narrative continues with Agni’s intervention

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A troubled royal city: anxious citizens and palace courtyards; Brahmins in ritual attire report that despite proper navagraha worship, affliction persists over sons, cattle, and kin.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Grahas (Navagraha)
• Rājā (king)
• Pura (city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be joined with correctness and purity; when results fail, hidden defects in rite or agents should be investigated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider chapter is part of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-glorification, but this verse focuses on the king’s suffering under graha-affliction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references graha-pūjā done with vidhāna; the implication is that further corrective graha-śānti (often via homa) is required.