Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वया महत्कर्म कृतमीदृक्सुदुष्करम् । प्रजानां पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ त्यक्त्वा दूराद्भयं मम

Transliteration

tasmāttvayā mahatkarma kṛtamīdṛksuduṣkaram | prajānāṃ pārthivaśreṣṭha tyaktvā dūrādbhayaṃ mama

Translation

അതിനാൽ, ഹേ രാജശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, പ്രജകളുടെ ക്ഷേമത്തിനായി എന്റെ ഭയം ദൂരെയാക്കി നീ ഇത്തരമൊരു അതിദുഷ്കരമായ മഹത്തായ കർമ്മം നിർവഹിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/Inference)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-रूप)
• Form: तस्मात्-रूप (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• mahat-karma: a great deed
• mahat-karma: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् कर्म)

• kṛtam: has been done
• kṛtam: Kriya (Passive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: कृत (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (mahatkarma) विशेषण

• īdṛk-suduṣkaram: such very difficult (a thing)
• īdṛk-suduṣkaram: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īdṛś (प्रातिपदिक) + su-duṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (ईदृक् च तत् सुदुष्करम्)

• prajānām: of the subjects/people
• prajānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• pārthiva-śreṣṭha: O best of kings
• pārthiva-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्थिवानां श्रेष्ठः)

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tyaj (त्यज् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: having abandoned)

• dūrāt: from far away
• dūrāt: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from afar)

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Śani

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker declares the king’s deed supremely difficult: he cast away fear of the dangerous being/power to protect his people; the king stands resolute, subjects symbolically behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Śani

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True kingship is fearlessly protecting the people; dharmic leadership places public welfare above personal safety.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains within the narrative praising dharmic action.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it commends a moral act (prajā-hita) rather than prescribing a rite.