Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

कथंचिदपि यद्येष जीवयिष्यति पार्थिव । पितृमातृपुरार्थे च देशानुत्सादयिष्यति

Transliteration

kathaṃcidapi yadyeṣa jīvayiṣyati pārthiva | pitṛmātṛpurārthe ca deśānutsādayiṣyati

Translation

ഹേ പാർഥിവാ! ഏതെങ്കിലും വിധത്തിൽ ഈ കുഞ്ഞ് ജീവിച്ചാൽ, പിതൃമാതൃപ്രയോജനവും നഗര-രാജ്യലാഭലോലതയും മൂലം പ്രേരിതനായി ദേശങ്ങളെ നശിപ്പിക്കും।

Word by Word

• कथंचित्: somehow
• कथंचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: somehow)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even/also)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त-सम्बन्धी (conditional conjunction)

• एषः: this (boy)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जीवयिष्यति: will survive / will be kept alive
• जीवयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative: will cause to live / will keep alive)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पितृमातृपुरार्थे: for the sake of father, mother, and city
• पितृमातृपुरार्थे: Adhikarana (Purpose-context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + मातृ + पुर + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां मातॄणां च पुरस्य च अर्थः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• देशान्: countries/regions
• देशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• उत्सादयिष्यति: will devastate
• उत्सादयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + सद् (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: लृट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative: will destroy/ruin)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (court astrologer-priests) addressing the King

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Astrologers describe a shadowed future: a young prince silhouetted against burning villages/ruined fields in a prophetic vision, while the king recoils in sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• pārthiva (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked fate-signs and ambition can harm society; dharmic restraint and remedial rites are implied as safeguards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse itself is part of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya narrative frame; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified here; the concern sets up the later recommendation of graha-śānti (pacificatory rites).