Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

राजा वृक्षो ब्राह्मणास्तस्य मूलं पौराः पर्णं मन्त्रिणस्तस्य शाखाः । तस्माद्राज्ञा ब्राह्मणा रक्षणीया मूले गुप्ते नास्ति वृक्षस्य नाशः

Transliteration

rājā vṛkṣo brāhmaṇāstasya mūlaṃ paurāḥ parṇaṃ mantriṇastasya śākhāḥ | tasmādrājñā brāhmaṇā rakṣaṇīyā mūle gupte nāsti vṛkṣasya nāśaḥ

Translation

Der König ist ein Baum; die Brāhmaṇas sind seine Wurzeln; die Bürger sind die Blätter; die Minister sind die Zweige. Darum muss der König die Brāhmaṇas schützen: Ist die Wurzel behütet, geht der Baum nicht zugrunde.

Word by Word

• rājā: king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• vṛkṣaḥ: tree
• vṛkṣaḥ: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• mūlam: root
• mūlam: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• paurāḥ: citizens/townsmen
• paurāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• parṇam: leaf/foliage
• parṇam: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• mantriṇaḥ: ministers/counsellors
• mantriṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• śākhāḥ: branches
• śākhāḥ: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Discourse connector (हेतु/निगमन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), निपात/सम्बन्धसूचक (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• rājñā: by the king
• rājñā: Karana/Agent-instrument (करण/कर्तृसाधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karman (Object/कर्म) (with passive obligation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• rakṣaṇīyāḥ: should be protected
• rakṣaṇīyāḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakṣaṇīya (कृदन्त; √rakṣ (धातु) + अनीयर्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विधिलिङ्गार्थक-कर्तव्यता (gerundive/obligatory: 'to be protected')

• mūle: in the root
• mūle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• gupte: when guarded/protected
• gupte: Adhikarana qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gupta (कृदन्त; √gup (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle: 'protected/guarded')

• na: not
• na: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• vṛkṣasya: of the tree
• vṛkṣasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• nāśaḥ: destruction
• nāśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (of 'asti' in negation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; likely Sūta relating the teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand ‘polity-tree’ diagram: the king as trunk with royal insignia; ministers as branching limbs holding scrolls/seals; citizens as many leaves; brāhmaṇas as deep roots glowing with mantra. A protective fence encircles the roots.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā (king)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Mantrin (ministers)
• Pauras (citizens)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A stable kingdom depends on protecting its dharmic roots—spiritual learning, integrity, and those who preserve sacred norms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse is situated in Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, portraying Prabhāsa as a dharma-centered sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it is a rāja-dharma prescription: institutional protection of Brāhmaṇas and dharma.