Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

न दुर्भिक्षं न च व्याधिर्न च चौरकृतं भयम् । तस्मिञ्छासति धर्मज्ञे आसील्लोकस्य कस्यचित्

Transliteration

na durbhikṣaṃ na ca vyādhirna ca caurakṛtaṃ bhayam | tasmiñchāsati dharmajñe āsīllokasya kasyacit

Translation

ആ ധർമ്മജ്ഞ രാജാവ് ഭരിക്കുമ്പോൾ ആര്ക്കും ക്ഷാമമില്ല, രോഗമില്ല, കള്ളന്മാരാൽ ഉണ്ടാകുന്ന ഭയവും ഇല്ലായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• न: not, no
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Negation/निषेध)

• दुर्भिक्षम्: famine
• दुर्भिक्षम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (as subject)

• न: nor
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Negation/निषेध)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction/समुच्चय)

• व्याधिः: disease
• व्याधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: nor
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Negation/निषेध)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction/समुच्चय)

• चौरकृतम्: caused by thieves
• चौरकृतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चौर + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (चौरेण कृतम्)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in him / when he
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शासति: rules, governs
• शासति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मज्ञे: in the knower of dharma (righteous one)
• धर्मज्ञे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य ज्ञः)

• आसीत्: was, existed
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• लोकस्य: of the people/world
• लोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कस्यचित्: of anyone (at all)
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ / audience of sages implied from prior verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A peaceful kingdom under Indradyumna: full granaries, healthy people, secure roads, merchants and pilgrims traveling without fear; the king’s dharma radiates as order.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna (implied)
• Dharma
• Durbhikṣa
• Vyādhi
• Caurabhaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma upheld by leadership manifests as collective well-being—prosperity, health, and safety for the people.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports the māhātmya by establishing the righteous context of the king tied to the tīrtha story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the societal fruits of dharmic governance.