Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

धर्मं त्यजति नास्तिक्याज्ज्ञातिभेदमुपागतः । स निग्राह्यः सर्वलोकैर्मनुधर्मपरायणैः

Transliteration

dharmaṃ tyajati nāstikyājjñātibhedamupāgataḥ | sa nigrāhyaḥ sarvalokairmanudharmaparāyaṇaiḥ

Translation

നാസ്തിക്യത്താൽ ധർമ്മം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് ബന്ധുക്കളിൽ ഭേദഭാവത്തിലേക്ക് വീഴുന്നവനെ, മനുധർമ്മപരായണരായ സർവ്വജനങ്ങളും നിയന്ത്രിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• त्यजति: abandons
• त्यजति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नास्तिक्यात्: from atheism/through irreligion
• नास्तिक्यात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन; कारणार्थे

• ज्ञातिभेदम्: division among kinsmen
• ज्ञातिभेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञाति + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ज्ञातीनां भेदः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपागतः: having fallen into/entered
• उपागतः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भावे ‘उपगतः’ = ‘having come to/entered’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निग्राह्यः: to be restrained/punished
• निग्राह्यः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + ग्रह् (धातु) + यत्-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘निग्रहितव्यः’

• सर्वलोकैः: by all people
• सर्वलोकैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वे लोकाः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मनुधर्मपरायणैः: devoted to Manu’s law
• मनुधर्मपरायणैः: Karana (Qualifier of instrument/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनुधर्म + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मनुधर्मे परायणाः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वलोकैः-विशेषण

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from chapter’s didactic flow)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of dharma-abiding elders restrains a disruptive figure splitting a family group; Manu’s śāstra appears as a symbolic manuscript or radiant authority behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Manu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unbelief that destroys dharma and social cohesion must be checked; society has a duty to protect dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it is a dharma directive within the broader tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the action prescribed is nigrāha—restraining harmful, dharma-abandoning conduct.