Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

परं नैवास्य संतानं तस्यां योनौ भविष्यति । संप्राप्स्यति च भूयोऽपि धर्मराजत्वमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

paraṃ naivāsya saṃtānaṃ tasyāṃ yonau bhaviṣyati | saṃprāpsyati ca bhūyo'pi dharmarājatvamuttamam

Translation

Doch in jener Geburt wird er keine Nachkommenschaft haben; und danach wird er erneut die höchste Würde des Dharmarāja erlangen.

Word by Word

• param: but; however
• param: Avyaya (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (discourse particle: but/however)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Avyaya (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• saṃtānam: offspring; progeny
• saṃtānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃtāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tasyām: in that
• tasyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• yonau: in the womb/birth
• yonau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhaviṣyati: will be; will occur
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• saṃprāpsyati: will attain
• saṃprāpsyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• bhūyaḥ: again; once more
• bhūyaḥ: Avyaya (Modifier/पुनरुक्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: again/more)

• api: also; even
• api: Avyaya (Modifier/सम्भावना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• dharmarājatvam: the status of Dharmarāja
• dharmarājatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma-rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (state/office)

• uttamam: excellent; supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

Speaker

Māṇḍavya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Māṇḍavya announces a mitigating clause: no progeny in that womb, and later return to Dharmarāja status. Devas’ faces soften; Dharmarāja appears relieved yet resigned.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Dharmarāja (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes both consequence and correction: a fall may occur by karmic necessity, yet rightful order can be restored after expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrtha-māhātmya flow that later highlights the local sacred pond known as Dīrghikā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse outlines the karmic outcome (no progeny) and subsequent reinstatement.