Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

दीनानामसमर्थानां यात्राकृत्येषु सर्वदा । तस्यास्तद्वचनं देवि नान्यथा संभविष्यति

Transliteration

dīnānāmasamarthānāṃ yātrākṛtyeṣu sarvadā | tasyāstadvacanaṃ devi nānyathā saṃbhaviṣyati

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി! ദീനരും അസമർത്ഥരുമായവരുടെ തീർത്ഥയാത്രാ കർത്തവ്യങ്ങളിൽ അവളുടെ വാക്ക് ഒരിക്കലും മറ്റെങ്ങനെ ആകുകയില്ല; അത് നിശ്ചയം ഫലിക്കും.

Word by Word

• दीनानाम्: of the poor
• दीनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (genitive, 6th), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• असमर्थानाम्: of the incapable
• असमर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-samartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक-विशेषणम् (negated adjective), पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्

• यात्रा-कृत्येषु: in pilgrimage duties
• यात्रा-कृत्येषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (compound) तत्पुरुषः (determinative: ‘pilgrimage-duties’), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्गे (feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (genitive, 6th), एकवचनम् (singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषणम् (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• वचनम्: statement, word
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (vocative), एकवचनम्

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

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (manner adverb)

• संभविष्यति: will happen, will be possible
• संभविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (simple future), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator addressing Devī (listener within the frame-story not shown in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Audumbarī (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consoling address to the Goddess: the speaker affirms that her words regarding the poor’s pilgrimage duties will certainly be fulfilled; the poor stand listening with fragile hope.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives emphasize the inevitability of karmic speech/boons/curses, especially as they shape the lived reality of the vulnerable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse discusses yātrā-kṛtya (pilgrimage obligations) generally within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context, without naming a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references yātrā-kṛtya (pilgrimage duties) in general terms, without specifying a particular vow or rite.