Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तस्माद्रक्षा प्रकर्तव्या यथा न स्यात्क्षतिः क्वचित् । कष्टं वा ब्राह्मणेंद्राणां तथा चैव पराभवम्

Transliteration

tasmādrakṣā prakartavyā yathā na syātkṣatiḥ kvacit | kaṣṭaṃ vā brāhmaṇeṃdrāṇāṃ tathā caiva parābhavam

Translation

C’est pourquoi il faut assurer la protection, afin qu’en aucun lieu ne survienne le moindre tort — qu’aucune peine n’atteigne les plus éminents des brahmanes, et qu’aucune humiliation ne leur advienne.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन (Ablative singular pronoun)

• रक्षा: protection
• रक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• प्रकर्तव्या: must be done
• प्रकर्तव्या: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्तव्य (कृदन्त; धातु √कृ (करणे) + तव्यत्, उपसर्ग प्र)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: 'to be done')

• यथा: so that
• यथा: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्देश्य/परिणामवाचक अव्यय (so that)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध निपात (negation particle)

• स्यात्: may be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Subordinate verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (भू/सत्तायाम्)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, 3rd person singular)

• क्षतिः: harm/damage
• क्षतिः: Karta (Subject of 'syāt'/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/at any time
• क्वचित्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (indefinite adverb: anywhere/ever)

• कष्टम्: distress/trouble
• कष्टम्: Karta (Subject; coordinated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• ब्राह्मण: of brahmins
• ब्राह्मण: Sambandha (Genitive within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (compound-member; Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• इन्द्राणाम्: of the foremost brahmins
• इन्द्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्राह्मणेन्द्र = ब्राह्मणानाम् इन्द्रः) (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (likewise/and so)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• पराभवम्: defeat/humiliation
• पराभवम्: Karma (Object implied: 'avoid')
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

King (mahīpati) instructing heirs/attendants to safeguard the grant and grantees

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The elder instructs heirs with a firm gesture: guards stationed, boundary markers set, Brahmin households protected; the mood is resolute, preventing future injustice.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not only giving, but also protecting what has been righteously given and ensuring recipients are not oppressed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha setting frames the narrative, but this verse emphasizes ethical governance and protection rather than naming a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it is a governance injunction to provide security and prevent injury, hardship, or humiliation to Brahmin grantees.