Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

स्वामिद्रोहरता ये च कुराज्ये जन्म चाप्नुयुः । हंतकारप्रदानेन तेषां तृप्तिः प्रजायते

Transliteration

svāmidroharatā ye ca kurājye janma cāpnuyuḥ | haṃtakārapradānena teṣāṃ tṛptiḥ prajāyate

Translation

സ്വാമിദ്രോഹത്തിൽ ആസക്തരായവരും ദുഷ്‌ഭരണത്തിലുള്ള രാജ്യത്തിൽ ജന്മം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നവരും—‘ഹന്തകാര’ എന്ന അർപ്പണം നൽകിയാൽ അവർക്കു തൃപ്തി ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• स्वामिद्रोहरताः: those devoted to betraying their master
• स्वामिद्रोहरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिद्रोहरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—स्वामिनि द्रोहे रताः (devoted to betraying one’s master)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — and

• कुराज्ये: in an evil kingdom
• कुराज्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुराज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—कु (दुष्टं) राज्यम् = bad rule/evil kingdom

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — and

• आप्नुयुः: would obtain
• आप्नुयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/संभावना-आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘may obtain/would obtain’

• हंतकारप्रदानेन: by the offering called haṃtkāra
• हंतकारप्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंतकार + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—हंतकारस्य प्रदानम् (giving of ‘haṃtkāra’/a specific offering)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तृप्तिः: satisfaction
• तृप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful figure offers a ritual gift labeled 'haṃtakāra' at a tīrtha altar; behind him, imagery of a troubled kingdom (broken standards, harsh tax collectors) contrasts with the calm of the sacred bank where pitṛs receive appeasement.

Characters & Entities

• Svāmi-droha
• Dāna (haṃtakāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Betrayal of rightful authority is condemned as adharma and yields painful social and karmic outcomes; charity/rites are presented as supportive measures for the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it remains within the moral-ritual instruction of a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Haṃtakāra-pradāna is mentioned as an offering/dāna connected with producing ‘tṛpti’ (satisfaction) for them.