Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

प्रतिघातविदस्तेषां योजयेद्धर्मवत्सलान् । दिव्यानां स्तभकाञ्ज्ञात्वा पापान्नित्यं महीपतिः

Transliteration

pratighātavidasteṣāṃ yojayeddharmavatsalān | divyānāṃ stabhakāñjñātvā pāpānnityaṃ mahīpatiḥ

Translation

राजा को चाहिए कि उनके प्रतिघात (उपाय) जानने वाले, धर्म-प्रिय विशेषज्ञों को नियुक्त करे। जो पापी दिव्य-परिक्षाओं को रोकते हैं, उन्हें पहचानकर भूमिपति को निरन्तर उनके विरुद्ध दण्ड-कार्य करना चाहिए।

Word by Word

• pratighāta-vidaḥ: knowers of counter-measures
• pratighāta-vidaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratighāta (प्रातिपदिक) + vid (विद्, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रतिघातस्य विदः = knowing counter-measures)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• yojayet: should appoint/engage
• yojayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yuj (युज्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• dharma-vatsalān: devoted to dharma
• dharma-vatsalān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + vatsala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मे वत्सलः) — qualifying the appointed persons

• divyānām: of the divine (ones)
• divyānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (स्तभकानाम्)

• stabhakān: paralyzers/obstructors
• stabhakān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stabhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• jñātvā: having identified/known
• jñātvā: Kriya (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालः (having known)

• pāpān: the sinners/evil-doers
• pāpān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• nityam: always
• nityam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverb: always)

• mahīpatiḥ: the king
• mahīpatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahīpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) speaking to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king confers with a circle of austere, dharma-loving experts holding śāstra scrolls and protective implements; they demonstrate counter-rites to dispel a dark spell hovering over an ordeal altar; guards seize identified offenders.

Characters & Entities

• mahīpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler protects dharma by empowering the righteous and restraining those who corrupt sacred or judicial processes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the focus is on royal duty and social protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engaging dharma-aligned experts to counteract and identify those who ‘stambha’ (obstruct) divine ordeals, and taking continual action against them.