Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

यदा स यौवनोपेतः सञ्जातः क्षेमजित्सुतः । तं च राज्ये नियोज्याऽथ स्वस्थानं स पुनर्ययौ

Transliteration

yadā sa yauvanopetaḥ sañjātaḥ kṣemajitsutaḥ | taṃ ca rājye niyojyā'tha svasthānaṃ sa punaryayau

Translation

Lorsque le fils de Kṣemajit parvint à la jeunesse, il l’établit sur le trône; puis il retourna de nouveau à sa propre demeure.

Word by Word

• yadā: when
• yadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = 'when'

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = 'he'

• yauvana-upetaḥ: having reached youth
• yauvana-upetaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yauvana (प्रातिपदिक) + upeta (उप√इ धातु + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (यौवनेन उपेतः/यौवनं प्राप्तः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (saḥ)

• sañjātaḥ: was born / had grown up
• sañjātaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam√jan (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = 'born/come into being'

• kṣemajit-sutaḥ: Kṣemajit's son
• kṣemajit-sutaḥ: Kartā (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣemajit (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (क्षेमजितः सुतः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = 'son of Kṣemajit'

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = 'him'

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = 'and'

• rājye: in the kingdom
• rājye: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन = 'in the kingdom'

• niyojya: having appointed
• niyojya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni√yuj (धातु) + ya (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त = 'having appointed/assigned'

• atha: then
• atha: Kriyā-anuvṛtti (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक) = 'then'

• sva-sthānam: to his own place
• sva-sthānam: Karman (Goal as object with motion verb)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (स्वं स्थानम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = 'his own place'

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = 'he'

• punar: back
• punar: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'again/back'

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = 'went'

Speaker

Sūta (tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied destination/anchor)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aging king places the crown upon the youthful heir, then turns toward a forest-path or sacred road, symbolizing withdrawal; attendants fade into the background as the couple prepares for pilgrimage/retreat.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣemajit

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes orderly succession and the willingness to step back, turning again toward a life oriented to the sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The storyline continues toward the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra where Śiva’s liṅga is established and praised as Raivateśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it reflects the dharmic act of installing an heir (rājya-niyoga).