Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ममादेशात्परित्यज्य स्वर्गं गच्छ धरातलम् । पितृपैतामहं स्थानं राज्यं तत्र समाचर

Transliteration

mamādeśātparityajya svargaṃ gaccha dharātalam | pitṛpaitāmahaṃ sthānaṃ rājyaṃ tatra samācara

Translation

“എന്റെ ആജ്ഞപ്രകാരം സ്വർഗ്ഗം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് ഭൂമിയിലേക്കു പോകുക. അവിടെ നിന്റെ പിതൃ-പൈതാമഹരുടെ സ്ഥാനത്ത് വസിച്ച് രാജ്യം ഭരിക്ക.”

Word by Word

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्

• आदेशात्: from/according to (my) command
• आदेशात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचनम्; ‘आदेशात्’ = ‘by/according to the command’ (हेतौ/निमित्ते)

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive) = ‘having abandoned’

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Imperative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• धरातलम्: the earth; ground
• धरातलम्: Karma (Goal/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; गच्छ इति कर्म

• पितृपैतामहम्: ancestral (of fathers and grandfathers)
• पितृपैतामहम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ + पैतामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘पितृ- (पितॄणाम्) + पैतामह- (पितामहसम्बन्धि)’ समाहार-द्वन्द्वः; स्थानम् इति विशेषणम्

• स्थानम्: place; abode
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• राज्यम्: kingdom; rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्)

• समाचर: practice; undertake; rule
• समाचर: Kriya (Imperative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Śiva (implied as the issuer of the command; voiced through the messenger in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The emissary delivers Śiva’s ultimatum to Andhaka: leave Svarga, descend to Earth, rule only in ancestral territory; depict a threshold between celestial and terrestrial realms—cloud stairway or cosmic axis.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Svarga
• Dharātala (earth)
• Pitṛ-paitāmaha-sthāna (ancestral realm)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power must align with rightful domain; divine command re-establishes boundaries that sustain dharma and cosmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears; ‘dharātala’ is generic (earth), and ‘ancestral place’ is not geographically specified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an injunction regarding rightful rule and relocation.