Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तस्माद्यदि न रक्षा नः करिष्यसि महीपते । तच्छनैर्यास्यते लोकः सर्वोऽयं संक्षयं ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

tasmādyadi na rakṣā naḥ kariṣyasi mahīpate | tacchanairyāsyate lokaḥ sarvo'yaṃ saṃkṣayaṃ dhruvam

Translation

C’est pourquoi, ô seigneur de la terre, si tu ne nous accordes pas ta protection, peu à peu tout ce peuple ira sûrement à sa perte.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति पञ्चमी-रूपं, अव्ययीभावेन हेतु-अर्थे (ablative used adverbially: therefore/from that)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निर्देशक अव्यय (if)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• रक्षाम्: protection
• रक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म) एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• नः: us
• नः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/द्वितीया बहुवचन-रूप (enclitic); अत्र द्वितीया (कर्म) बहुवचन—'us'

• करिष्यसि: you will do
• करिष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (you will do)

• महीपते: O king
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (आह्वान) एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; अत्र क्रियाविशेष्य-रूपेण (that/then)

• शनैः: gradually
• शनैः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: slowly/gradually)

• यास्यते: will go/come
• यास्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (will go/come to)

• लोकः: the world/people
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता) एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• सर्वः: entire
• सर्वः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (all/entire)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप (this)

• संक्षयम्: to destruction/decay
• संक्षयम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/गति) एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: ध्रुवम् इति नपुंसक-द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन, क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन (indeclinable-like adverb: certainly)

Speaker

Petitioners/reporters to King Kuśa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Supplicants address the king in court, pleading for protection; behind them, a faint vignette of the afflicted tract suggests impending ruin if action is delayed.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous kingship is measured by protection—defending people and sacred order is a central duty of kṣatra-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request concerns the endangered kṣetra described in this adhyāya (identified in nearby verses as Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a plea for protection and intervention.