Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

क्षत्रियस्तु स्थितो राज्ये पालयित्वा वसुंधराम् । शश्वद्धर्ममनाश्चैव प्राप्नोति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

kṣatriyastu sthito rājye pālayitvā vasuṃdharām | śaśvaddharmamanāścaiva prāpnoti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

Mais le Kṣatriya, établi dans la royauté, ayant protégé la terre et gardant sans cesse l’esprit dans le dharma, atteint la voie suprême.

Word by Word

• क्षत्रियः: a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोध-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• स्थितः: situated/established
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate adjective to subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/established’

• राज्ये: in the kingdom
• राज्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पालयित्वा: having protected/ruled
• पालयित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having protected/ruled’

• वसुंधराम्: the earth
• वसुंधराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुंधरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• शश्वत्: always
• शश्वत्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शश्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb: always/continually)

• धर्मम्: dharma/righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अनाशः: undecaying/imperishable
• अनाशः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to implied subject: ‘without destruction/undecaying’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to गतिम्)

• गतिम्: destination/state
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā region tīrthas (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowned king stands in court with a dharma-śāstra and a sword lowered in restraint, while the earth-goddess (Bhū-devī) is symbolically protected; in the background a river-tīrtha and temple spire indicate sacred stewardship.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Kṣatriya
• Rājya
• Vasundharā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual attainment is possible through righteous governance: protecting subjects and remaining steadfast in dharma purifies the ruler.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse presents a universal ideal of rājadharma within the Revā Khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes ethical action—protection of the realm and unwavering dharma-mindedness.