Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । स्वधर्म एष भूपानां कुर्वंति मृगसंक्षयम् । तस्मात्स्वधर्मसंयुक्तं न मां त्वं शप्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

rājovāca | svadharma eṣa bhūpānāṃ kurvaṃti mṛgasaṃkṣayam | tasmātsvadharmasaṃyuktaṃ na māṃ tvaṃ śaptumarhasi

Translation

The king said: “This is the appointed duty of kings—to reduce the beasts of the forest. Therefore, since I acted in accordance with my own dharma, you ought not curse me.”

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• स्वधर्मः: one's own duty
• स्वधर्मः: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य धर्मः)

• एषः: this
• एषः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भूपानाम्: of kings
• भूपानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• कुर्वन्ति: do, perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• मृगसंक्षयम्: destruction of deer (hunting)
• मृगसंक्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग + संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृगाणां संक्षयः)

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्वधर्मसंयुक्तम्: connected with one's duty
• स्वधर्मसंयुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वधर्म + संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (स्वधर्मेण संयुक्तम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शप्तुम्: to curse
• शप्तुम्: Karma/Prayojana (Object/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive/तुमन्त), क्रियार्थक

• अर्हसि: ought, are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Rājā (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in hunting attire argues before a speaking doe in a forest clearing; attendants and bows visible; moral tension rather than violence emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• bhūpāḥ (kings)
• mṛga (deer/game)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Invoking svadharma is not a blanket defense; dharma requires discernment about circumstance and harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is part of the lead-up to tīrtha-related resolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a dharma-argument by the king.