Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

औरसानिव पुत्रांश्च प्रजा धर्मेण धर्मज । पालयसि किमाश्चर्यं त्वया धन्या हि सा प्रजा

Transliteration

aurasāniva putrāṃśca prajā dharmeṇa dharmaja | pālayasi kimāścaryaṃ tvayā dhanyā hi sā prajā

Translation

Ô Dharmarāja, tu protèges tes sujets par le dharma, comme s’ils étaient tes propres fils. Qu’y a-t-il là d’étonnant ? Béni, en vérité, est le peuple que tu gouvernes.

Word by Word

• aurasān: legitimate (born of one’s own body)
• aurasān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aurasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural); विशेषण

• iva: like, as if
• iva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

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

• prajāḥ: subjects, people
• prajāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Plural)

• dharmeṇa: by righteousness, by dharma
• dharmeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• dharmaja: O dharma-born one
• dharmaja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dharma-jāta = born of dharma)

• pālayasi: you protect, you govern
• pālayasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pāl (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन (2nd person singular)

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• āścaryam: wonder, surprise
• āścaryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āścarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Instrumental, Singular)

• dhanyā: fortunate, blessed
• dhanyā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषण

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• sā: that
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• prajā: people, subjects
• prajā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (a praising interlocutor addressing Yudhiṣṭhira/Dharmarāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर सिंहासन/सभा में, प्रजा को पुत्रवत् संरक्षण देते हुए; ऋषि/ब्राह्मणों द्वारा प्रशंसा, शांत-गंभीर राजसभा।

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dharma (as his father/title)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous kingship (rājadharma) is parental in spirit—protecting subjects like one’s own children is itself a mark of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Dharmāraṇya (the sacred forest) whose greatness is being unfolded, though this verse focuses on rājadharma rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse praises ethical governance as a dharmic act that generates merit.