Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वं गच्छ राज्यं स्वं स्वधर्मेण प्रपालय । इह लोके परे चैव येन सौख्यं प्रजायते

Transliteration

tasmāttvaṃ gaccha rājyaṃ svaṃ svadharmeṇa prapālaya | iha loke pare caiva yena saukhyaṃ prajāyate

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് നീ നിന്റെ രാജ്യത്തിലേക്ക് ചെന്നു, സ്വധർമ്മപ്രകാരം അതിനെ പരിപാലിച്ചു സംരക്ഷിക്ക; അങ്ങനെ ചെയ്താൽ ഇഹലോകത്തും പരലോകത്തും സുഖം ജനിക്കും.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: हेतु-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वम्: your own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with राज्यम्)

• स्वधर्मेण: by (your) own duty
• स्वधर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-धर्म (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + धर्म)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रपालय: protect/govern
• प्रपालय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-kala (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परे: in the other (world)
• परे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with लोके: 'in the other world')

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis particle)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• सौख्यम्: happiness
• सौख्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises/is produced
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher within the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A counselor/ascetic figure directs the king to return and rule righteously; the king stands ready to depart, hands folded, with a sense of resolved duty.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous governance (rāja-dharma) is a spiritual path: protecting subjects in accordance with svadharma yields welfare here and hereafter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides a dharma conclusion within the tīrtha-mahātmya storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the instruction is practical dharma—return, rule, and protect according to svadharma.