Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

ततः सारस्वतः प्राह राजानं धूर्तचेष्टितम् । राजन्ममात्मजं पश्य तव शासनयंत्रितम्

Transliteration

tataḥ sārasvataḥ prāha rājānaṃ dhūrtaceṣṭitam | rājanmamātmajaṃ paśya tava śāsanayaṃtritam

Translation

പിന്നീട് സാരസ്വതൻ കപടസ്വഭാവമുള്ള രാജാവിനോട് പറഞ്ഞു: 'ഹേ രാജാവേ! അങ്ങയുടെ ആജ്ഞയാൽ ബന്ധിതനായ എന്റെ മകനെ നോക്കൂ.'

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): तस्मात्/ततः = thereafter/from that

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata (a sage/person)
• सारस्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sārasvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (proper noun)

• प्राह: said/spoke
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (अह् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• धूर्तचेष्टितम्: of deceitful conduct
• धूर्तचेष्टितम्: Karman (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhūrta + ceṣṭita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; राजानम् इति विशेषणम्

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आत्मजम्: son (born of oneself)
• आत्मजम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātma + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पश्य: see/look
• पश्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शासनयंत्रितम्: restrained/controlled by (your) command
• शासनयंत्रितम्: Karman (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāsana + yaṃtrita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मजम् इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sārasvata

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (Pārthiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage (Sārasvata) confronts a seated king in court, pointing toward a distressed youth; the atmosphere is tense, with courtiers watching as dharma is questioned.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• King of Vidarbha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler’s command binds others; therefore kingship must be exercised as dharma, not as cunning self-interest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the focus is courtly accountability, not pilgrimage geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.