Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अराजके नृपश्रेष्ठ मात्स्यो न्यायः प्रवर्तते । राष्ट्रे चैव पुरे चैव ग्रामे चैव विशेषतः

Transliteration

arājake nṛpaśreṣṭha mātsyo nyāyaḥ pravartate | rāṣṭre caiva pure caiva grāme caiva viśeṣataḥ

Translation

„O Bester der Könige, wenn kein Herrscher da ist, setzt sich das ‚Fischgesetz‘ durch—im ganzen Reich, in den Städten und besonders in den Dörfern.“

Word by Word

• अराजके: in a kingless (state)
• अराजके: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (नञ्) + राजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; नञ्-समासपूर्वक विशेषण; ‘राजा नास्ति यस्मिन्’

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• मात्स्यः: fish-like (law)
• मात्स्यः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (न्यायस्य)

• न्यायः: law / order
• न्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रवर्तते: prevails / operates
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• राष्ट्रे: in the realm
• राष्ट्रे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-सम्बन्धक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (indeed/just)

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-सम्बन्धक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात

• ग्रामे: in the village
• ग्रामे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-सम्बन्धक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विशेष-क्रियाविशेषण (especially)

Speaker

Counsellors/subjects (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: counselors describe chaos in city and village if no king rules—scenes of disorder contrasted with the calm hermitage where the king sits.

Characters & Entities

• Mātsya-nyāya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous governance is itself a form of dharma; without it, exploitation replaces justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse provides dharma-śāstra style teaching within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it teaches political-dharma (rāja-dharma) as a safeguard for society.