Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

रक्षकं सर्वलोकानां नृपं किं शप्तवानसि । अराजके वयं लोके स्थास्यामः कथमंजसा

Transliteration

rakṣakaṃ sarvalokānāṃ nṛpaṃ kiṃ śaptavānasi | arājake vayaṃ loke sthāsyāmaḥ kathamaṃjasā

Translation

സകല ലോകങ്ങളുടെയും രക്ഷകനായ രാജാവിനെ നീ എന്തിന് ശപിച്ചു? രാജാവില്ലാത്ത ലോകത്തിൽ നാം എങ്ങനെ സുഖമായി പാർക്കും?

Word by Word

• रक्षकम्: protector
• रक्षकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वलोकानाम्: of all worlds/of all people
• सर्वलोकानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘all’ qualifying ‘worlds/people’)

• नृपम्: the king
• नृपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• किम्: why/what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• शप्तवान्: (you) have cursed
• शप्तवान्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (Perfect participle/agentive) ‘having cursed’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (असि इति सह)

• असि: are (you)
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• अराजके: in a kingless (state)
• अराजके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + राजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘kingless’

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्थास्यामः: shall remain/stand
• स्थास्यामः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• अंजसा: easily/straightforwardly
• अंजसा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अंजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-तृतीया (instrumental used adverbially) ‘straight/easily’

Speaker

Śamīka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śamīka speaks with concern: a vision-like sense of a rulerless world—disorder on roads, unsafe hermitages—contrasted with the ideal king as guardian.

Characters & Entities

• Śamīka
• Śṛṅgī
• the king (Parīkṣit implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma depends on social order; harming righteous kingship harms the stability that supports spiritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse emphasizes rāja-dharma within the Setukhaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral-political teaching about kingship.