Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

राजा पापयुतो यस्मिन्राष्ट्रे वसति तत्र वै । दुर्भिक्षं चैव मरणं तथैवोपद्रवा द्विजाः

Transliteration

rājā pāpayuto yasminrāṣṭre vasati tatra vai | durbhikṣaṃ caiva maraṇaṃ tathaivopadravā dvijāḥ

Translation

Dans tout royaume où demeure un roi entaché de péché, là surgissent en vérité la famine et la mort, ainsi que maintes afflictions, ô brāhmanes.

Word by Word

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

• पाप-युतः: associated with sin
• पाप-युतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त; √यु (युजँ) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; राजा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यस्मिन्: in which
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; राष्ट्रे इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• राष्ट्रे: in the kingdom
• राष्ट्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• वसति: dwells
• वसति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (वसँ निवासे)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'there')

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

• दुर्भिक्षम्: famine
• दुर्भिक्षम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + भिक्ष)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'only/indeed')

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• उपद्रवाः: calamities, disturbances
• उपद्रवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपद्रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• द्विजाः: O twice-born
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: null

Type: null

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dwijas (brāhmaṇas) addressed in-frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingdom under a sinful ruler: parched fields, empty granaries, funeral processions, frightened citizens; the king sits troubled or heedless, while brāhmaṇas warn him—moral causality made visible.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The ruler’s moral condition shapes the fate of the realm; adharma in leadership yields collective suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the instruction is ethical and political (rājadharma) within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is directly mentioned.