Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

येन स्वकुलजो धर्मस्त्यक्तः स पतितो भवेत् । मृतश्च नरकं प्राप्य दुःखभारेण युज्यते

Transliteration

yena svakulajo dharmastyaktaḥ sa patito bhavet | mṛtaśca narakaṃ prāpya duḥkhabhāreṇa yujyate

Translation

Wer das Dharma seiner eigenen Linie aufgibt, wird zum Gefallenen. Und nach dem Tod, in der Hölle angekommen, wird er unter der erdrückenden Last des Leidens gebunden.

Word by Word

• येन: by whom/whereby
• येन: Karana (Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे ‘येन कारणेन’

• स्वकुलजः: born in one’s own family
• स्वकुलजः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + कुलज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्य कुलात् जातः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; धर्म-विशेषण

• धर्मः: duty/law
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्यक्तः: abandoned
• त्यक्तः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘त्यजितः’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पतितः: fallen (from dharma)
• पतितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (प्रातिपदिक; √पत् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक; √मृ + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; स-विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• दुःखभारेण: by the burden of suffering
• दुःखभारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख + भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुःखस्य भारः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• युज्यते: is yoked/afflicted
• युज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from the ongoing admonition in the chapter)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a man turning away from ancestral rites while shadowy messengers of Yama and a heavy burden (duḥkha-bhāra) loom; in contrast, a luminous path of dharma stands behind him, unchosen.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Abandoning one’s rightful dharma leads to moral downfall and painful karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a particular tīrtha; it states a general dharma principle within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; the instruction is to uphold kuladharma rather than abandon it.