Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । पूजिता अपि सद्भक्त्या विधानेन तथा ग्रहाः । पीडयंति पुरं राज्ञः सपुत्रपशुबांधवम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | pūjitā api sadbhaktyā vidhānena tathā grahāḥ | pīḍayaṃti puraṃ rājñaḥ saputrapaśubāṃdhavam

Translation

Les brahmanes dirent : «Bien que les grahas (planètes) aient été honorés avec une dévotion sincère et selon le rite prescrit, ils tourmentent encore la cité du roi, avec ses fils, son bétail et ses proches.»

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पूजिताः: worshipped
• पूजिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ‘ग्रहाः’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थः ‘even/also’

• सद्भक्त्या: with true devotion
• सद्भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सद् + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः ‘सत्-भक्ति’ (good/devout devotion)

• विधानेन: by the prescribed rite/method
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अर्थः ‘thus/so’

• ग्रहाः: planets (grahas)
• ग्रहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• पीडयन्ति: afflict
• पीडयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• सपुत्रपशुबान्धवम्: (the city) with sons, cattle, and kinsmen
• सपुत्रपशुबान्धवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पुत्र + पशु + बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (possessive): ‘having sons, cattle, and relatives’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘पुरम्’

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (collective)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) the king/assembly; narrative continues with Agni’s intervention

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A troubled royal city: anxious citizens and palace courtyards; Brahmins in ritual attire report that despite proper navagraha worship, affliction persists over sons, cattle, and kin.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Grahas (Navagraha)
• Rājā (king)
• Pura (city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be joined with correctness and purity; when results fail, hidden defects in rite or agents should be investigated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider chapter is part of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-glorification, but this verse focuses on the king’s suffering under graha-affliction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references graha-pūjā done with vidhāna; the implication is that further corrective graha-śānti (often via homa) is required.