Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सर्वे धर्मा धृताः पूर्वमेकत्राऽन्यत्र चाप्यृतम् । तुलायां कौतुकाद्देवैर्जातं तत्र ऋतं गुरु

Transliteration

sarve dharmā dhṛtāḥ pūrvamekatrā'nyatra cāpyṛtam | tulāyāṃ kautukāddevairjātaṃ tatra ṛtaṃ guru

Translation

Autrefois, tous les dharmas furent rassemblés d’un côté, et de l’autre on plaça aussi le ṛta. Par curiosité, les dieux les mirent sur une balance, et là le ṛta se révéla plus lourd, plus éminent.

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; ‘all’ (धर्माः इति विशेषण)

• धर्माः: duties, virtues
• धर्माः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• धृताः: were placed/held
• धृताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘were held/placed’

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एकत्र: in one place
• एकत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• ऋतम्: ṛta (truth/order)
• ऋतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘truth/cosmic order’

• तुलायाम्: on the balance (scale)
• तुलायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कौतुकात्: from curiosity
• कौतुकात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे ‘out of curiosity’

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-करणभावे (agents)

• जातम्: became / was found
• जातम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘was born/turned out’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• ऋतम्: ṛta (truth)
• ऋतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गुरु: heavier, weightier
• गुरु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Kṛtaghna (the preta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gods assemble around a giant balance scale; on one pan lie many scrolls labeled ‘dharma’, on the other a single radiant tablet labeled ‘ṛta/satya’ that sinks the scale, astonishing the devas.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (gods)
• Ṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ṛta/satya is portrayed as the heaviest—most authoritative—principle, surpassing other dharmic observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it provides a universal ethical foundation for the forthcoming tīrtha instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it uses a mythic ‘weighing’ metaphor to establish the supremacy of ṛta (truth).