Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अहो वयं हि राजानः प्रजा यूयं हि संमताः । राजाज्ञया प्रवृत्तानां श्रेयः स्यादन्यथा भयम्

Transliteration

aho vayaṃ hi rājānaḥ prajā yūyaṃ hi saṃmatāḥ | rājājñayā pravṛttānāṃ śreyaḥ syādanyathā bhayam

Translation

അഹോ! ഞങ്ങളാണ് രാജാക്കന്മാർ; നിങ്ങൾ പ്രജകൾ—ഞങ്ങളുടെ അധീനരെന്നു അംഗീകരിക്കപ്പെട്ടവർ. രാജാജ്ഞപ്രകാരം പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്നവർക്ക് ശ്രേയസ്; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഭയം തന്നെ.

Word by Word

• अहो: ah!, alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयादिबोधक-निपात (interjection/particle of exclamation)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (common pronoun), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• यूयम्: you (pl.)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (common pronoun), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• संमताः: approved/accepted
• संमताः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मन् (धातु) → संमत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘यूयम्’)

• राजाज्ञया: by the king’s command
• राजाज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राज्ञः आज्ञा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• प्रवृत्तानाम्: of those who act/are engaged
• प्रवृत्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वृत्त from √वृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; ‘प्रवृत्त’ = engaged/acting; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• श्रेयः: welfare/the better course
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्तृस्थानी (as subject of ‘स्यात्’)

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; ‘स्यात्’ इत्यस्य कर्ता (elliptic: ‘(स्यात्) भयम्’)

Speaker

Naradeva (the king) (deduced from immediate narrative continuity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in court asserts sovereignty and warns that welfare follows obedience while disobedience brings fear; ministers and subjects stand attentive in a formal sabhā.

Characters & Entities

• Naradeva (king)
• rājā (king)
• prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic social ethics: order and welfare arise when one follows rightful authority; defiance breeds fear and instability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as narrative Rajadharma within the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes conduct (dharma) rather than a ritual act.