Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

इति पृष्टो धर्मराज्ञा स्मयन्हैडंबिरब्रवीत् । हते तस्मिन्दुराचारे मातुलेऽस्मि नियोजितः

Transliteration

iti pṛṣṭo dharmarājñā smayanhaiḍaṃbirabravīt | hate tasmindurācāre mātule'smi niyojitaḥ

Translation

ധർമ്മരാജൻ ചോദിച്ചപ്പോൾ ഹൈഡംബീപുത്രൻ പുഞ്ചിരിയോടെ പറഞ്ഞു—“ആ ദുഷ്ടാചാരിയായ മാമൻ വധിക്കപ്പെട്ട ശേഷം എന്നെ (ചുമതലയിലേക്ക്) നിയോഗിച്ചു.”

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• pṛṣṭaḥ: asked
• pṛṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dharmarājñā: by Dharmarāja (Yama)
• dharmarājñā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma-rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; (धर्मस्य राजा)

• smayan: smiling
• smayan: Karta (Concurrent action/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smi (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• haiḍaṃbiraḥ: Haiḍaṃbira (proper name)
• haiḍaṃbiraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haiḍaṃbira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• abravīt: said, spoke
• abravīt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• hate: when (he) was slain
• hate: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) used as locative absolute; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• tasmin: in/when that (one)
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• durācāre: in the wicked one / in the evil-doer
• durācāre: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dur-ācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; (दुष्टः आचारः यस्य/दुराचारः)

• mātule: in/for (my) maternal uncle
• mātule: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• asmi: I am
• asmi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• niyojitaḥ: appointed, assigned
• niyojitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√yuj (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Haidambi (responding to Dharmarāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Haidambi replies smiling to Dharmarāja: after the wicked maternal uncle was killed, he was appointed to manage affairs.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Haidambi
• Mātula (maternal uncle)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When wrongdoing is removed, responsibility should be placed upon a fit person to restore dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse advances the storyline about governance after a wicked person’s fall.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative statement about appointment and duty.