Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

यदा कश्चिज्जनं कश्चिद्राक्षसो भक्षयिष्यति । आज्ञाभंगो ध्रुवं भावी मम भक्तिरतस्य च

Transliteration

yadā kaścijjanaṃ kaścidrākṣaso bhakṣayiṣyati | ājñābhaṃgo dhruvaṃ bhāvī mama bhaktiratasya ca

Translation

If at any time some Rākṣasa were to devour some person, then the breach of my command would certainly occur—even for one devoted to my bhakti.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

• जनम्: a person
• जनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कश्चित्: some (rākṣasa)
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

• राक्षसः: a rākṣasa
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भक्षयिष्यति: will devour
• भक्षयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आज्ञा-भङ्गः: violation of command
• आज्ञा-भङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक) + भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आज्ञायाः भङ्गः)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Prakarana (Modal/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/particle)

• भावी: will occur/inevitable
• भावी: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) / भाविन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भविष्यत्कृदन्त (णिनि/इन्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (आज्ञाभङ्गः)

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• भक्ति-रतस्य: of one devoted to devotion (my devotee)
• भक्ति-रतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भक्तौ रतः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (a subordinate/guardian figure may be speaking to a superior ‘mahārāja’ in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu–Rāmeśvara pilgrimage protection mandate

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (royal addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vibhīṣaṇa declares that if any rākṣasa devours a person, it would be a definite breach of his command—even by one claiming devotion—underscoring strict guardianship.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa
• Bhakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be aligned with obedience to righteous command; harm to pilgrims becomes a dharmic fault and a violation of sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-madhya and the Rāmeśvara-related sacred geography within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse discusses the ethical consequence of allowing violence against visitors.