Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

किं वा दुर्जनवाक्येन दूषितो दोषवर्जितः । दंड्यते मम राज्ये च केनचित्त्रिदशेश्वर

Transliteration

kiṃ vā durjanavākyena dūṣito doṣavarjitaḥ | daṃḍyate mama rājye ca kenacittridaśeśvara

Translation

Ou bien, ô Seigneur des dieux, quelqu’un d’irréprochable est-il souillé par les paroles des méchants, puis châtié par quelqu’un dans mon royaume ?

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; interrogative pronoun (प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• दुर्जनवाक्येन: by the words of a wicked person
• दुर्जनवाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्जन + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दुर्जनस्य वाक्यम्)

• दूषितः: defiled/tainted
• दूषितः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूष् (धातु) → दूषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; past passive participle

• दोषवर्जितः: free from fault
• दोषवर्जितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोष + वर्जित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (दोषैः वर्जितः/दोषरहितः)

• दण्ड्यते: is punished
• दण्ड्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दण्ड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; possessive genitive pronoun

• राज्ये: in (my) kingdom
• राज्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

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

• केनचित्: by someone
• केनचित्: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite: 'by someone')

• त्रिदशेश्वर: O lord of the gods
• त्रिदशेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रिदशानाम् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

A righteous king (addressing Indra/Tridaśeśvara in supplication within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tridaśeśvara / Tridaśādhipa (Lord of the Gods)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ruler, hands folded, questions the Lord of the Gods about injustice: the innocent smeared by wicked speech and punished in the kingdom; a court scene with shadowy whisperers contrasted with a radiant divine witness.

Characters & Entities

• Tridaśeśvara (Indra)
• Durjana (wicked person)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Slander and wrongful punishment are grave adharma; rulers must protect the innocent and judge beyond malicious speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The line is part of a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter but focuses on moral governance rather than naming a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it teaches judicial dharma—avoid condemning the blameless due to rumor or malice.