Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सेयं तव सुता राजन्यथोक्ता विष कन्यका । पैतृकं श्वाशुरीयं च हनिष्यति गृहद्वयम्

Transliteration

seyaṃ tava sutā rājanyathoktā viṣa kanyakā | paitṛkaṃ śvāśurīyaṃ ca haniṣyati gṛhadvayam

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ! നിന്റെ ഈ പുത്രി പറഞ്ഞതുപോലെ വിഷകന്യയാണ്; അവൾ പിതൃഗൃഹവും ശ്വശുരഗൃഹവും—ഇരു ഗൃഹങ്ങളെയും നശിപ്പിക്കും.

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• sutā: daughter
• sutā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• yathā-uktā: as stated, as said
• yathā-uktā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + ukta (√vac, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-विशेषण—‘यथोक्ता’ = ‘as said/aforementioned’

• viṣa: poison
• viṣa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपमान/विशेषणार्थे (poisonous)

• kanyakā: girl, maiden
• kanyakā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• paitṛkam: paternal
• paitṛkam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paitṛka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘गृहद्वयम्’ इति

• śvāśurīyam: of the father-in-law (in-law’s)
• śvāśurīyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śvāśurīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘गृहद्वयम्’ इति

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• haniṣyati: will destroy
• haniṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• gṛha-dvayam: the two households
• gṛha-dvayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास—‘द्वे गृहे’ (two households)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A counselor points toward the princess, naming her viṣakanyā; behind, two houses are shown symbolically cracking or darkening—paternal and in-laws’ homes—signifying dual destruction.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Viṣakanyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions and circumstances shaped by karma can ripple across families; dharma demands careful, compassionate, and wise decision-making.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse delivers a warning about consequences.