Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ततो जलचरन्यायः संप्रवृत्तो महीतले । पीड्यंते सर्वलोकास्तु दुर्बला बलवत्तरैः

Transliteration

tato jalacaranyāyaḥ saṃpravṛtto mahītale | pīḍyaṃte sarvalokāstu durbalā balavattaraiḥ

Translation

Alors, sur la terre, prévalut la « loi des créatures aquatiques » : les forts opprimaient les faibles, et tous les peuples étaient accablés.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla/Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): 'ततः' = 'then/thereafter'

• jalacara-nyāyaḥ: the law/logic of aquatic creatures (big fish eat small)
• jalacara-nyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jalacara (प्रातिपदिक) + nyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जलचराणां न्यायः)

• saṃpravṛttaḥ: has come into force
• saṃpravṛttaḥ: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective to nyāyaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + pra + √vṛt (वृत्/वृत्त् धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/क्तवतु-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'प्रवृत्तः' = arisen/come into operation

• mahītale: on the surface of the earth
• mahītale: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महीतलम्)

• pīḍyante: are oppressed/tormented
• pīḍyante: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pīḍ (पीड् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• sarva-lokāḥ: all people/worlds
• sarva-lokāḥ: Karman/Anubhavya (Passive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वे लोकाः)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): विरोध/अन्वयार्थे 'but/indeed'

• durbalāḥ: the weak
• durbalāḥ: Karman/Anubhavya (Qualifier of sarvalokāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; उपसर्ग-तत्पुरुषः (दुर्बल = weak)

• balavattaraiḥ: by the stronger
• balavattaraiḥ: Kartṛ (Agent in passive; Instrumental)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative): 'stronger (than)'

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A troubled kingdom: strong men seize goods from the weak; common folk huddle in fear; the earth appears morally ‘darkened’ as dharma recedes.

Characters & Entities

• all people
• the strong
• the weak

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma declines, society devolves into oppression; restoring righteousness requires guidance, restraint, and sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named here; the narrative proceeds toward Sārasvata Tīrtha at Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra as the remedy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it diagnoses social disorder.