Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

न कस्यचिन्महाराज कदापि च कथंचन । वर्तनायाश्च सन्देहः स्थानकृत्येऽपि संस्थितः

Transliteration

na kasyacinmahārāja kadāpi ca kathaṃcana | vartanāyāśca sandehaḥ sthānakṛtye'pi saṃsthitaḥ

Translation

മഹാരാജാവേ! ആര്ക്കും ഒരിക്കലും ഏതുവിധത്തിലും ജീവികയും പോഷണവും സംബന്ധിച്ച് സംശയം ശേഷിക്കരുത്; സ്വന്തം നിയതസ്ഥാനധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിലകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുമ്പോഴും।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• कस्यचित्: of anyone
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थे ‘-चित्’ (indefinite)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कदापि: ever
• कदापि: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal indeclinable), अर्थः—‘ever/at any time’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कथंचन: in any manner
• कथंचन: Prakara (Manner adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् + चन (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (manner indeclinable), अर्थः—‘in any way/at all’

• वर्तनायाः: of conduct/behavior
• वर्तनायाः: Sambandha (Relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्तना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सन्देहः: doubt
• सन्देहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थानकृत्ये: in the duty regarding one’s position
• स्थानकृत्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष (‘of position’ + ‘duty’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थः—‘even/also’

• संस्थितः: is present/has arisen
• संस्थितः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

Speaker

Unspecified (Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice; likely a brāhmaṇa/community representative addressing the king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas counsel the king with calm certainty: a didactic moment in the court, emphasizing order, duty, and the absence of fear about sustenance when dharma is upheld.

Characters & Entities

• mahārāja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic governance includes removing uncertainty about rightful livelihood—stability supports religious life and orderly service at sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the immediate passage emphasizes governance around a tīrtha community rather than naming the site in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the instruction is administrative-dharmic—ensure secure maintenance (vartanā) for those stationed in sacred duties.