Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

राज्यकर्मणि दक्षश्च शूरः परबलार्दनः । त्वदीयो द्विजमात्रोऽपि तव तुष्टिं करिष्यति

Transliteration

rājyakarmaṇi dakṣaśca śūraḥ parabalārdanaḥ | tvadīyo dvijamātro'pi tava tuṣṭiṃ kariṣyati

Translation

അവൻ രാജധർമ്മകാര്യങ്ങളിൽ നിപുണനും, വീരനും, ശത്രുബലം തകർക്കുന്നവനും ആയിരിക്കും. അവൻ വെറും ദ്വിജൻ (ബ്രാഹ്മണജന്മം) മാത്രമായാലും, നിന്നെ സന്തുഷ്ടനാക്കും.

Word by Word

• rājya-karmaṇi: in royal duties/governance
• rājya-karmaṇi: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘kingdom’ + ‘duty/administration’)

• dakṣaḥ: skilled, capable
• dakṣaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): ‘and’

• śūraḥ: brave
• śūraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• para-bala-ardanaḥ: destroyer of the enemy’s forces
• para-bala-ardanaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + ardana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘enemy/other’ + ‘army’ + ‘crusher’)

• tvadīyaḥ: your (belonging to you)
• tvadīyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvadīya (प्रातिपदिक; from yusmad)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• dvija-mātraḥ: a mere brahmin (only a brahmin)
• dvija-mātraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘brahmin’ + ‘mere/only’)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): ‘even/also’

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tuṣṭim: satisfaction, pleasure
• tuṣṭim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kariṣyati: will do, will bring about
• kariṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator/speaker within the story (not explicitly named in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prophetic description of the future son: adept in royal duties, heroic, crushing enemies; despite being ‘only’ dvija by birth, he will satisfy the addressed lady.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A worthy heir is praised by virtues of rajadharma—competence, courage, and protection of society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha name appears in this verse; it remains within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya setting of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it describes the expected qualities and outcomes of the sought-for son.