Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तत एव हि मे नाम धर्मराज इति स्मृतम् । समत्वात्सर्वजंतूनां पक्षपातविवर्जनात्

Transliteration

tata eva hi me nāma dharmarāja iti smṛtam | samatvātsarvajaṃtūnāṃ pakṣapātavivarjanāt

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ടുതന്നെ എന്റെ നാമം ‘ധർമ്മരാജൻ’ എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; സർവ്വജീവികളോടും സമത്വം പുലർത്തുകയും പക്ഷപാതം ഒഴിവാക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നതിനാൽ.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: therefore/from that
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Cause marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक/तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (therefore/from that)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis/only)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (for/indeed)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• nāma: name
• nāma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dharmarājaḥ: Dharma-king (Dharmarāja)
• dharmarājaḥ: Pratipādya (Predicate nominative/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: धर्म-राज (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-निपात (quotative)

• smṛtam: is known/called
• smṛtam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (is called/remembered)

• samatvāt: because of impartiality
• samatvāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ (because of equality)

• sarvajaṃtūnām: of all beings
• sarvajaṃtūnām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + jaṃtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः: सर्व-जंतु (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• pakṣapātavivarjanāt: because of absence of favoritism
• pakṣapātavivarjanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣapāta + vivarjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: पक्षपात-विवर्जन (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Yama (Dharmarāja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharmarāja is depicted as a just king-judge, serene and balanced, with symbols of equality—scales, open palm, and a neutral gaze toward all.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine justice is impartial; karmic results arise from actions, not favoritism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the moral framework often taught within tīrtha-māhātmyas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse defines Dharmarāja’s nature as equal and unbiased.