Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

राजकार्येषु चान्येषु एते दास्यन्ति निर्णयम् । युष्मदीयं वचः श्रुत्वा शुभं वा यदि वाऽशुभम्

Transliteration

rājakāryeṣu cānyeṣu ete dāsyanti nirṇayam | yuṣmadīyaṃ vacaḥ śrutvā śubhaṃ vā yadi vā'śubham

Translation

രാജകാര്യങ്ങളിലും മറ്റു വിഷയങ്ങളിലും ഇവർ നിങ്ങളുടെ വചനം ശ്രവിച്ച് ശുഭമോ അശുഭമോ അനുസരിച്ച് വിധി പ്രസ്താവിക്കും.

Word by Word

• राजकार्येषु: in royal affairs
• राजकार्येषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजकार्य (प्रातिपदिक; राजन् + कार्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञः कार्यम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अन्येषु: in other (matters)
• अन्येषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कार्येषु)

• एते: these (persons)
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• दास्यन्ति: will give
• दास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• निर्णयम्: a decision/judgment
• निर्णयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्णय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• युष्मदीयम्: your
• युष्मदीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युष्मदीय (प्रातिपदिक; युष्मद्-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वचः)

• वचः: speech/word
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having heard)

• शुभम्: good (as verdict)
• शुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (निर्णयम् इत्यस्य विशेष्यभावे)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अशुभम्: bad (as verdict)
• अशुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

The king (appointing decision-makers/administrators)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Garttātīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in assembly instructs appointed men to render judgments in royal affairs after hearing the addressed authority; scribes and elders witness the pronouncement.

Characters & Entities

• rāja-kārya
• nirṇaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires impartial decision-making under rightful authority, even when judgments are difficult or unpopular.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues the administrative framework supporting the tīrtha setting of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it focuses on governance—issuing decisions (nirṇaya) in royal and community matters.