Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

यत्र सीदंति धर्मिष्ठा नराः सत्यपरायणाः । दान्ता विवेकिनः शान्तास्तथा परहिते रताः

Transliteration

yatra sīdaṃti dharmiṣṭhā narāḥ satyaparāyaṇāḥ | dāntā vivekinaḥ śāntāstathā parahite ratāḥ

Translation

En ce lieu, même les plus vertueux—voués à la vérité, maîtres d’eux-mêmes, clairvoyants, paisibles et zélés pour le bien d’autrui—s’enfoncent dans l’épreuve et la détresse.

Word by Word

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• sīdanti: sink/decline/are distressed
• sīdanti: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sad (सद्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• dharmiṣṭhāḥ: most righteous
• dharmiṣṭhāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharmiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक; dharma+इष्ठ)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

• narāḥ: men/people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• satyaparāyaṇāḥ: devoted to truth
• satyaparāyaṇāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya-parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; satya+parāyaṇa)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

• dāntāḥ: self-controlled
• dāntāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dānta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dam (दम्) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

• vivekinaḥ: discerning
• vivekinaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vivekin (प्रातिपदिक; viveka+in)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

• śāntāḥ: peaceful
• śāntāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √śam (शम्) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'and likewise')

• parahite: in others' welfare
• parahite: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para-hita (प्रातिपदिक; para+hita)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; अधिकरण (locative of sphere)

• ratāḥ: engaged/delighting
• ratāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ram (रम्) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of serene ascetic-like householders—calm faces, simple dress—surrounded by a harsh world; despite their peace and charity, they are shown weighed down, yet inwardly luminous.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A key mark of adharma is that virtuous, truth-loving people are pushed into suffering while disorder prevails.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it supports the māhātmya’s contrast between dhārmic and adhārmic regions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.