Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च । ब्रह्मचर्येण चक्रे स राज्यं निहतकंटकम्

Transliteration

daśavarṣasahasrāṇi daśavarṣaśatāni ca | brahmacaryeṇa cakre sa rājyaṃ nihatakaṃṭakam

Translation

Durant dix mille ans, puis encore mille ans, il gouverna le royaume par le brahmacarya, le rendant sans épines—sans peine ni trouble.

Word by Word

• दशवर्षसहस्राणि: ten-thousand years (lit. thousands of ten-years)
• दशवर्षसहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + वर्ष + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (दश वर्षाणि = दशवर्ष; तेषां सहस्राणि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter acc. pl.)

• दशवर्षशतानि: hundreds of ten-years
• दशवर्षशतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + वर्ष + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (दशवर्षाणि; तेषां शतानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter acc. pl.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy/continence
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (neuter instrumental sg.)

• चक्रे: performed/maintained
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter acc. sg.)

• निहतकण्टकम्: free of thorns/obstacles (i.e., trouble-free)
• निहतकण्टकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहत + कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (निहताः कण्टकाः यस्मिन्/यस्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter acc. sg.), राज्यं विशेषयति

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long reign depicted symbolically: Rāma as ascetic-king, calm and vigilant; citizens safe, roads clear, fields prosperous; ‘thorns’ (bandits, injustice) subdued by dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Personal discipline (brahmacarya) is presented as a source of public order, turning governance into a dharmic protection for all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the chapter’s broader māhātmya narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly praises brahmacarya as a dharmic observance, but no concrete rite (snāna/dāna/japa) is specified.