Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

न दुर्भिक्षं न च व्याधिर्न च चौरकृतं भयम् । तस्मिञ्छासति धर्मज्ञे आसील्लोकस्य कस्यचित्

Transliteration

na durbhikṣaṃ na ca vyādhirna ca caurakṛtaṃ bhayam | tasmiñchāsati dharmajñe āsīllokasya kasyacit

Translation

Tant que régnait ce roi connaisseur du Dharma, il n’y eut dans le royaume ni famine, ni maladie, ni crainte suscitée par les voleurs pour qui que ce soit.

Word by Word

• न: not, no
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Negation/निषेध)

• दुर्भिक्षम्: famine
• दुर्भिक्षम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (as subject)

• न: nor
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Negation/निषेध)

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

• व्याधिः: disease
• व्याधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: nor
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Negation/निषेध)

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

• चौरकृतम्: caused by thieves
• चौरकृतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चौर + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (चौरेण कृतम्)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in him / when he
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शासति: rules, governs
• शासति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मज्ञे: in the knower of dharma (righteous one)
• धर्मज्ञे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य ज्ञः)

• आसीत्: was, existed
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• लोकस्य: of the people/world
• लोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कस्यचित्: of anyone (at all)
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ / audience of sages implied from prior verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A peaceful kingdom under Indradyumna: full granaries, healthy people, secure roads, merchants and pilgrims traveling without fear; the king’s dharma radiates as order.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna (implied)
• Dharma
• Durbhikṣa
• Vyādhi
• Caurabhaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma upheld by leadership manifests as collective well-being—prosperity, health, and safety for the people.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports the māhātmya by establishing the righteous context of the king tied to the tīrtha story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the societal fruits of dharmic governance.