Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तवाश्रमस्य द्वारस्थं मम सैन्यं व्यवस्थितम् । बुभुक्षितेषु भृत्येषु यः स्वामी कुरुतेऽशनम्

Transliteration

tavāśramasya dvārasthaṃ mama sainyaṃ vyavasthitam | bubhukṣiteṣu bhṛtyeṣu yaḥ svāmī kurute'śanam

Translation

« Mon armée est postée à la porte de ton ermitage. Quand les serviteurs ont faim, quel maître pourrait manger seul ? »

Word by Word

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• आश्रमस्य: of the hermitage
• आश्रमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्वारस्थम्: stationed at the gate
• द्वारस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वार + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्थ = स्थित/स्थ-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) to सैन्यम्

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• सैन्यम्: army
• सैन्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यवस्थितम्: is arranged/posted
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन; विशेषण to सैन्यम्

• बुभुक्षितेषु: among the hungry
• बुभुक्षितेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुभुक्ष् (धातु) → बुभुक्षित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण to भृत्येषु

• भृत्येषु: among the servants
• भृत्येषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• स्वामी: the master
• स्वामी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुरुते: does/makes
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अशनम्: eating/food (meal)
• अशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king speaks at the threshold of a forest hermitage; beyond the gate, a disciplined army waits, visibly hungry, while the sage’s calm presence radiates dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Vasiṣṭha
• Army at āśrama gate

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership dharma includes care for dependents; a ruler’s personal comfort is secondary to the welfare of those who serve him.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The āśrama setting is emphasized as a sacred boundary where worldly logistics (an army) meets spiritual hospitality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, feeding dependents along with oneself; the verse frames the ethical requirement rather than a formal rite.