Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

न करेण विना भूपा हस्त्यश्वादिबलं च यत् । शक्नुवंति परित्रातुं पादातं च विशेषतः

Transliteration

na kareṇa vinā bhūpā hastyaśvādibalaṃ ca yat | śaknuvaṃti paritrātuṃ pādātaṃ ca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

કર (રાજસ્વ) વિના રાજાઓ હાથી-ઘોડા વગેરે સેનાબળનું પાલન-રક્ષણ કરી શકતા નથી—વિશેષ કરીને પદાતિ સૈન્યનું।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• kareṇa: by/with tax (revenue)
• kareṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Exclusion relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition-like), वियोगार्थ (without)

• bhūpāḥ: kings
• bhūpāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• hasti-aśva-ādi-balam: the force of elephants, horses, etc.
• hasti-aśva-ādi-balam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasti (प्रातिपदिक) + aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समाहार/निर्देशार्थ तत्पुरुष (hasty-aśvādīnām balam)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• śaknuvanti: are able
• śaknuvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• paritrātum: to protect
• paritrātum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√trā (धातु) + tumun (तुमुन्)
• Form: कृदन्त (infinitive/तुमुन्), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• pādātam: infantry/foot-soldier
• pādātam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), विशेषणार्थ (especially)

Speaker

A king/ruler (speaker not explicitly named in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king reviewing troops—elephants with caparisons, horses, and foot-soldiers—while scribes tally revenue; the scene emphasizes protection rather than conquest, with a shrine/flag of dharma in the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taxation is justified when aligned with protection and welfare; revenue supports the dharmic duty of safeguarding society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides governance context within the tīrtha discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse discusses practical rāja-dharma (state duty).