Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । ममैते सैनिका ब्रह्मञ्छतशोऽथ सहस्रशः । तैरभुक्तैः कथं भोक्तुं युज्यते मम कीर्तय

Transliteration

rājovāca | mamaite sainikā brahmañchataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ | tairabhuktaiḥ kathaṃ bhoktuṃ yujyate mama kīrtaya

Translation

Le roi dit : « Ô Brahmane, mes soldats sont par centaines et par milliers. S’ils n’ont pas mangé, comment serait-il juste que je mange ? Dis-le-moi. »

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एते: these
• एते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• सैनिकाः: soldiers
• सैनिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैनिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• शतशः: by hundreds
• शतशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb: “by hundreds/in hundreds”)

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (and/then)

• सहस्रशः: by thousands
• सहस्रशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb: “by thousands/in thousands”)

• तैः: by them/with them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभुक्तैः: uneaten (by them)
• अभुक्तैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-भुक्त (भुज् धातु + क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) नञ्-पूर्वक (not eaten/uneaten)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

• भोक्तुम्: to eat
• भोक्तुम्: Prayojana/Anukriya (Purpose/Complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive: “to eat”)

• युज्यते: is fitting/appropriate
• युज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: “is proper/is fitting”)

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कीर्तय: tell/declare
• कीर्तय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Rājā (the king/royal sage)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Jamadagni (addressed as Brahman)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in travel attire stands respectfully before a sage, gesturing toward a large camp of soldiers; his face shows concern and restraint, refusing to eat first.

Characters & Entities

• Sainikāḥ (soldiers)
• Brahman (addressed sage, Jamadagni by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Responsible leadership: one should not seek personal comfort while one’s dependents remain unfed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the teaching is embedded within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it raises a dharmic concern about propriety in taking food before one’s retinue.