Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अराजके नृपश्रेष्ठ मात्स्यो न्यायः प्रवर्तते । राष्ट्रे चैव पुरे चैव ग्रामे चैव विशेषतः

Transliteration

arājake nṛpaśreṣṭha mātsyo nyāyaḥ pravartate | rāṣṭre caiva pure caiva grāme caiva viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! രാജാവില്ലെങ്കിൽ ‘മത്സ്യന്യായം’ പ്രബലമാകും—രാജ്യത്തിലും നഗരങ്ങളിലും പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ഗ്രാമങ്ങളിലും.

Word by Word

• अराजके: in a kingless (state)
• अराजके: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (नञ्) + राजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; नञ्-समासपूर्वक विशेषण; ‘राजा नास्ति यस्मिन्’

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• मात्स्यः: fish-like (law)
• मात्स्यः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (न्यायस्य)

• न्यायः: law / order
• न्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रवर्तते: prevails / operates
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• राष्ट्रे: in the realm
• राष्ट्रे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (indeed/just)

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात

• ग्रामे: in the village
• ग्रामे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विशेष-क्रियाविशेषण (especially)

Speaker

Counsellors/subjects (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: counselors describe chaos in city and village if no king rules—scenes of disorder contrasted with the calm hermitage where the king sits.

Characters & Entities

• Mātsya-nyāya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous governance is itself a form of dharma; without it, exploitation replaces justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse provides dharma-śāstra style teaching within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it teaches political-dharma (rāja-dharma) as a safeguard for society.