Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

लभिष्यंति च पुत्रांस्तास्तेभ्यः क्षत्रियपुंगवान् । ये भूमिं पालयिष्यंति पालयिष्यंति च प्रजाः

Transliteration

labhiṣyaṃti ca putrāṃstāstebhyaḥ kṣatriyapuṃgavān | ye bhūmiṃ pālayiṣyaṃti pālayiṣyaṃti ca prajāḥ

Translation

അവരിൽ നിന്നു അവർ പുത്രന്മാരെ പ്രാപിക്കും—ക്ഷത്രിയരിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠർ—അവർ ഭൂമിയെ കാത്തു പ്രജകളെയും പരിപാലിക്കും।

Word by Word

• लभिष्यन्ति: will obtain
• लभिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

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

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ताः: they (those women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तेभ्यः: from/for them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), बहुवचन

• क्षत्रियपुंगवान्: excellent Kṣatriya (sons)
• क्षत्रियपुंगवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (kṣatriya-puṃgava = bull/foremost among Kṣatriyas)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (relative pronoun)

• भूमिम्: the earth/land
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पालयिष्यन्ति: will protect/govern
• पालयिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पालय् (धातु, √पाल् causative/denominative)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• पालयिष्यन्ति: will protect
• पालयिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पालय् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन (repetition for emphasis)

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

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāsiṣṭha Kuṇḍa (contextual)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic tableau: from the tīrtha’s blessing arise future Kṣatriya sons—depicted as youthful princes with bows/swords—standing before a map-like ‘earth’ motif and a gathered populace, symbolizing protection.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣatriyas
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Progeny is valued as a vehicle for dharma: ideal sons are those who uphold rāja-dharma by protecting land and people.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader instruction culminates in the merit of bathing at Vāsiṣṭha Kuṇḍa (named in the next verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse states the promised fruit (phala); the practical rite is detailed immediately after.