Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7
Devanagari script
एष एव परो धर्मो भूपतीनां विशेषतः । यथात्मीयं वचस्तथ्यं क्रियते निर्विकल्पितम्
Transliteration
eṣa eva paro dharmo bhūpatīnāṃ viśeṣataḥ | yathātmīyaṃ vacastathyaṃ kriyate nirvikalpitam
Translation
This indeed is the highest dharma—especially for kings: that one’s own word, once given as truth, is carried out without hesitation or alternative.
Word by Word
eṣaḥthis
eṣaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
evaindeed, only
eva:
Visheshana (Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण)
paraḥsupreme
paraḥ:
Visheshana (Modifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण
dharmaḥdharma, duty
dharmaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
bhūpatīnāmof kings
bhūpatīnām:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootbhū-pati (प्रातिपदिक; भू + पति)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'lords of the earth'
viśeṣataḥespecially
viśeṣataḥ:
Adhikarana (Manner)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootviśeṣatas (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'especially'
yathāas, in the manner that
yathā:
Sambandha (Correlative marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (यथार्थे/अनुपातबोधक)
ātmīyamone's own
ātmīyam:
Visheshana (Modifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootātmīya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण
vacaḥword, promise
vacaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvacas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
tathyamtrue, truthful
tathyam:
Visheshana (Modifier)
TypeAdjective
Roottathya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण
kriyateis done, is carried out
kriyate:
Kriya (Action)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)
nirvikalpitamwithout doubt/hesitation
nirvikalpitam:
Adhikarana (Manner)
TypeAdjective
Rootnir-vikalpita (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + विकल्पित)
Formक्त (भूतकृदन्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—'without hesitation/without alternative'
Speaker
Lakṣmaṇa (Saumitrī), inferred from immediate context
Characters & Entities
B
Bhūpati (king)FAQs
For rulers, truthfulness and unwavering fulfillment of one’s pledged word is presented as supreme dharma.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the moral frame within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.
None; the verse teaches ethical duty (satya and resolve), not a ritual act.