Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

भवंति बहवोऽनर्थाः प्रजानां नाशहेतवे । तस्माद्राज्ञा तु कर्तव्यो धर्म्मः श्रद्धापरेण हि

Transliteration

bhavaṃti bahavo'narthāḥ prajānāṃ nāśahetave | tasmādrājñā tu kartavyo dharmmaḥ śraddhāpareṇa hi

Translation

Bien des malheurs surgissent, devenant cause de la ruine des peuples. C’est pourquoi le roi doit soutenir le dharma, avec foi (śraddhā) et conscience vigilante.

Word by Word

• भवन्ति: arise, occur
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (भू)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अनर्थाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अनर्थाः: misfortunes
• अनर्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• प्रजानाम्: of the people
• प्रजानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• नाश-हेतवे: for (their) destruction
• नाश-हेतवे: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम; तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृकरणे (agent in passive)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• कर्तव्यः: must be performed
• कर्तव्यः: Vidhyartha (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (कृञ् करणे) + तव्यत् (कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: 'to be done')

• धर्मः: dharma, righteous duty
• धर्मः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तव्यः इत्यस्य विषयः

• श्रद्धा-परेण: by one devoted to faith
• श्रद्धा-परेण: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; राज्ञा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• हि: for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-निपात (particle: 'for/indeed')

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: null

Type: null

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dwijas (brāhmaṇas) addressed in-frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic image of the ideal king: holding a dharma-śāstra or scepter, listening to brāhmaṇas, distributing justice and charity; behind him the land becomes fertile and citizens peaceful—anartha recedes.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is the king’s foremost duty; faithful, principled rule prevents societal ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is praised in this verse; it is a universal dharma teaching within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is listed; the ‘prescription’ is righteous governance grounded in śraddhā.