Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ततस्ते व्याधयः प्रोक्ता अजापालेन भूभुजा । केनाज्ञा खंडिता मेऽद्य को वध्यः सांप्रतं मम

Transliteration

tataste vyādhayaḥ proktā ajāpālena bhūbhujā | kenājñā khaṃḍitā me'dya ko vadhyaḥ sāṃprataṃ mama

Translation

Da berichtete der Ziegenhirt dem König, dem Beschützer seines Volkes, von jenen Krankheiten. Da sprach der König: „Wer hat heute meinen Befehl gebrochen? Wen soll ich jetzt bestrafen?“

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक) — 'then'

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — 'they' (refers to diseases)

• व्याधयः: diseases
• व्याधयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — subject

• प्रोक्ताः: were spoken/told
• प्रोक्ताः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; व्याधयः इति विशेष्य

• अजापालेन: by the goatherd
• अजापालेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-हेतुक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजा + पाल (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental; समासः: अजायाः पालः (goat-herd)

• भूभुजा: by the king
• भूभुजा: Karana (Agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental; 'by the king' (earth-enjoyer)

• केन: by whom
• केन: Karana (Instrument/Agent query)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental interrogative

• आज्ञा: command
• आज्ञा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — subject

• खण्डिता: broken/violated
• खण्डिता: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √खण्ड् (धातु) → खण्डित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आज्ञा इति विशेष्य

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम — षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive 'my'

• अद्य: today; now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — 'today/now'

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — interrogative subject

• वध्यः: to be slain
• वध्यः: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — predicate adjective; 'to be killed'

• साम्प्रतम्: at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — 'at present'

• मम: of me; my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम — षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive

Speaker

The king (bhūbhuj)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, hearing of the diseases, speaks with commanding anger: who violated his order, who deserves punishment? The atmosphere is judicial and forceful.

Characters & Entities

• bhūbhuj (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It portrays the king’s protective role and the instinct to uphold order—yet the deeper Purāṇic arc will redirect anger toward understanding causes and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dialogue moment initiating the explanation of the affliction.