Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

जाते वृष्टिनिरोधेऽथ जायंतेऽन्नानि न क्षितौ । अन्नाभावात्क्षयं यांति ततो भूभितले जनाः

Transliteration

jāte vṛṣṭinirodhe'tha jāyaṃte'nnāni na kṣitau | annābhāvātkṣayaṃ yāṃti tato bhūbhitale janāḥ

Translation

മഴ തടസ്സപ്പെട്ടാൽ ഭൂമിയിൽ ധാന്യം ജനിക്കുകയില്ല. അന്നത്തിന്റെ അഭാവം മൂലം ഭൂതലത്തിലെ ജനങ്ങൾ ക്ഷയിച്ചു നശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• जाते: when (it has) occurred
• जाते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः; (वृष्टिनिरोधे इति सह)

• वृष्टिनिरोधे: in the stoppage of rain
• वृष्टिनिरोधे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष्टि-निरोध (प्रातिपदिक; components: वृष्टि + निरोध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (Avyaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तर-अव्ययम् (then/thereupon)

• जायन्ते: are produced/arise
• जायन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• अन्नानि: foods/grains
• अन्नानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Nishedha/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम्

• क्षितौ: on the earth
• क्षितौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अन्नाभावात्: from lack of food
• अन्नाभावात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न-अभाव (प्रातिपदिक; components: अन्न + अभाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; हेतौ (cause)

• क्षयम्: destruction/decline
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यान्ति: go/come to
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: thereupon/then
• ततः: Discourse connector (Avyaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययम् (therefrom/then)

• भूभितले: on the surface of the earth
• भूभितले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-भितल (प्रातिपदिक; components: भू + भितल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Narrative voice within the Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue (context: admonitory explanation; likely a deity addressing a king/hero)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Parched fields under a pale sky; cracked earth; withered crops; thin villagers; empty granaries—an illustrative chain from withheld rain to human decline.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma sustains the world through orderly seasons; when rain fails, life collapses—so one must prevent adharma and protect cosmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as a causal teaching within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it states the consequence of rain-stoppage leading to famine and human decline.