Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

भ्रष्टराज्योऽथवा राजा यः शृणोत्यष्टमीदिने । स राज्यं लभते भूयो निखिलं हतकंटकम्

Transliteration

bhraṣṭarājyo'thavā rājā yaḥ śṛṇotyaṣṭamīdine | sa rājyaṃ labhate bhūyo nikhilaṃ hatakaṃṭakam

Translation

Même un roi déchu de son royaume—s’il écoute au jour d’Aṣṭamī (huitième jour lunaire)—retrouve sa souveraineté, entière et sans épines (obstacles).

Word by Word

• भ्रष्टराज्यः: deprived of kingdom
• भ्रष्टराज्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रष्ट + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; राज्ञः विशेषण (one whose kingdom is lost)

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or else)

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• शृणोति: hears
• शृणोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अष्टमीदिने: on the eighth day
• अष्टमीदिने: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी + दिन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (time-locative)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• निखिलम्: entire
• निखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; राज्यस्य विशेषण

• हतकण्टकम्: free of obstacles/enemies
• हतकण्टकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत + कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; राज्यस्य विशेषण (with thorns/enemies removed)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kelīśvarī (Aṣṭamī-śravaṇa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deposed king, humbled, sits among devotees on Aṣṭamī as the Devī’s māhātmya is read; the Devī’s blessing removes thorny obstacles—symbolized by thorns falling away from a crown or a path clearing before him.

Characters & Entities

• Aṣṭamī (tithi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional listening at an auspicious time (Aṣṭamī) is portrayed as restoring order and fortune, even in political collapse—linking dharma with worldly stability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights the phala (result) of śravaṇa within the Tīrthamāhātmya; the precise tīrtha is established by the surrounding adhyāya’s narrative rather than named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listening (śravaṇa) specifically on Aṣṭamī (the eighth lunar day).