Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

किमेवं क्रियते राज्यं यथा त्वं क्षत्रियाधमः । करोषि यत्र विध्वंसं राक्षसै र्नीयते जनः

Transliteration

kimevaṃ kriyate rājyaṃ yathā tvaṃ kṣatriyādhamaḥ | karoṣi yatra vidhvaṃsaṃ rākṣasai rnīyate janaḥ

Translation

ഇത് എങ്ങനെയുള്ള രാജധർമ്മം? ഹേ ക്ഷത്രിയാധമാ, നിന്റെ കാരണത്താൽ ഇവിടെ നാശം നടക്കുന്നു; രാക്ഷസർ ജനങ്ങളെ പിടിച്ചു കൊണ്ടുപോകുന്നു!

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this way)

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (is done)

• राज्यम्: kingdom/rule
• राज्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (subject of ‘क्रियते’)

• यथा: as/so that
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकार/यथार्थसूचक (as/so that)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन (2nd person pronoun)

• क्षत्रियाधमः: the lowest of Kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियाधमः: Sambodhana/Predicative (Address/predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षत्रियेषु अधमः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करोषि: you do
• करोषि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्ध (where)

• विध्वंसम्: destruction
• विध्वंसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विध्वंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• राक्षसैः: by demons
• राक्षसैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• नीयते: is carried off
• नीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (is led/taken away)

• जनः: people
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (a group of brāhmaṇas/vipras admonishing the king, per immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas point toward signs of ruin—burnt huts, empty streets—while accusing Kuśa; in the distance, shadowy rākṣasa figures carry off people, emphasizing urgency and shame.

Characters & Entities

• rākṣasa
• kṣatriya
• jana (people)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rājadharma is protection: a king is blameworthy if he allows harm to fall upon the people under his rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as narrative ethics within the Tīrthamāhātmya; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a reprimand focused on governance and protection.