Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

जाते वृष्टिनिरोधेऽथ जायंतेऽन्नानि न क्षितौ । अन्नाभावात्क्षयं यांति ततो भूभितले जनाः

Transliteration

jāte vṛṣṭinirodhe'tha jāyaṃte'nnāni na kṣitau | annābhāvātkṣayaṃ yāṃti tato bhūbhitale janāḥ

Translation

Wenn der Regen aufgehalten wird, wächst auf Erden kein Korn. Aus Mangel an Nahrung siechen die Menschen auf der Welt dahin und gehen zugrunde.

Word by Word

• जाते: when (it has) occurred
• जाते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः; (वृष्टिनिरोधे इति सह)

• वृष्टिनिरोधे: in the stoppage of rain
• वृष्टिनिरोधे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष्टि-निरोध (प्रातिपदिक; components: वृष्टि + निरोध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (Avyaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तर-अव्ययम् (then/thereupon)

• जायन्ते: are produced/arise
• जायन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• अन्नानि: foods/grains
• अन्नानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Nishedha/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम्

• क्षितौ: on the earth
• क्षितौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अन्नाभावात्: from lack of food
• अन्नाभावात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न-अभाव (प्रातिपदिक; components: अन्न + अभाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; हेतौ (cause)

• क्षयम्: destruction/decline
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यान्ति: go/come to
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: thereupon/then
• ततः: Discourse connector (Avyaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययम् (therefrom/then)

• भूभितले: on the surface of the earth
• भूभितले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-भितल (प्रातिपदिक; components: भू + भितल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Narrative voice within the Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue (context: admonitory explanation; likely a deity addressing a king/hero)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Parched fields under a pale sky; cracked earth; withered crops; thin villagers; empty granaries—an illustrative chain from withheld rain to human decline.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma sustains the world through orderly seasons; when rain fails, life collapses—so one must prevent adharma and protect cosmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as a causal teaching within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it states the consequence of rain-stoppage leading to famine and human decline.