Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

धर्मं त्यजति नास्तिक्याज्ज्ञातिभेदमुपागतः । स निग्राह्यः सर्वलोकैर्मनुधर्मपरायणैः

Transliteration

dharmaṃ tyajati nāstikyājjñātibhedamupāgataḥ | sa nigrāhyaḥ sarvalokairmanudharmaparāyaṇaiḥ

Translation

Wer aus Unglauben das Dharma aufgibt und in spaltende Parteien unter den Verwandten verfällt, der soll von allen, die dem von Manu gelehrten Dharma ergeben sind, zurückgehalten werden.

Word by Word

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• त्यजति: abandons
• त्यजति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नास्तिक्यात्: from atheism/through irreligion
• नास्तिक्यात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन; कारणार्थे

• ज्ञातिभेदम्: division among kinsmen
• ज्ञातिभेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञाति + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ज्ञातीनां भेदः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपागतः: having fallen into/entered
• उपागतः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भावे ‘उपगतः’ = ‘having come to/entered’

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

• निग्राह्यः: to be restrained/punished
• निग्राह्यः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + ग्रह् (धातु) + यत्-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘निग्रहितव्यः’

• सर्वलोकैः: by all people
• सर्वलोकैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वे लोकाः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मनुधर्मपरायणैः: devoted to Manu’s law
• मनुधर्मपरायणैः: Karana (Qualifier of instrument/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनुधर्म + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मनुधर्मे परायणाः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वलोकैः-विशेषण

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from chapter’s didactic flow)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of dharma-abiding elders restrains a disruptive figure splitting a family group; Manu’s śāstra appears as a symbolic manuscript or radiant authority behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Manu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unbelief that destroys dharma and social cohesion must be checked; society has a duty to protect dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it is a dharma directive within the broader tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the action prescribed is nigrāha—restraining harmful, dharma-abandoning conduct.