Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

चिन्त्यन्तां राजकार्याणि तथा यच्चौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । कुरु स्नेहोचितं तस्य पृष्ट्वा ब्राह्मणसत्तमान्

Transliteration

cintyantāṃ rājakāryāṇi tathā yaccaurdhvadaihikam | kuru snehocitaṃ tasya pṛṣṭvā brāhmaṇasattamān

Translation

രാജകാര്യങ്ങളും പരിഗണിക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ; കൂടാതെ ഔർധ്വദൈഹികമായി ആവശ്യമായ കർമങ്ങളും. ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരോട് ചോദിച്ച്, അവനോടുള്ള സ്നേഹവും ധർമ്മവും അനുസരിച്ച കൃത്യങ്ങൾ നിർവഹിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• चिन्त्यन्ताम्: let (them) be thought over
• चिन्त्यन्ताम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘let (them) be considered’

• राजकार्याणि: royal duties/affairs
• राजकार्याणि: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—राज-कार्य (तत्पुरुषः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• और्ध्वदैहिकम्: post-funeral rites-related
• और्ध्वदैहिकम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दैहिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—ऊर्ध्व-दैहिक (तत्पुरुषः; ‘शरीरान्तरोत्तरसम्बन्धि’)

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्नेहोचितम्: what is fitting for affection
• स्नेहोचितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक) + उचित (कृदन्त, √वच्?; ‘उचित’ as PPP from √वच्/√उच् in usage meaning ‘proper’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—स्नेह-उचित (तत्पुरुषः)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पृष्ट्वा: having asked
• पृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमान्: the best Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘श्रेष्ठ’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; समासः—ब्राह्मण-सत्तम (तत्पुरुषः; ‘ब्राह्मणेषु सत्तमाः’)

Speaker

Ministers (addressing Rāma)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council scene: ministers advising Rāma; in the background, brāhmaṇas seated with palm-leaf texts; preparations for dignified post-death observances alongside administrative order.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires balance: personal emotion must be harmonized with royal responsibility and properly guided rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it provides dharmic counsel within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions aurdhvadaihika (post-death observances) and instructs consulting foremost brāhmaṇas for proper performance.