Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

देवकार्याय तस्मात्त्वं गृहं गत्वा महीपते । कुरु राज्यं यथान्यायं पितृपैतामहं महत्

Transliteration

devakāryāya tasmāttvaṃ gṛhaṃ gatvā mahīpate | kuru rājyaṃ yathānyāyaṃ pitṛpaitāmahaṃ mahat

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ മഹീപതേ, ദേവകാര്യത്തിനായി നീ ഗൃഹത്തിലേക്ക് മടങ്ങുക. പിതൃ-പൈതാമഹരുടെ മഹത്തായ രാജ്യം നീതിപ്രകാരം ഭരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• deva-kāryāya: for the divine task
• deva-kāryāya: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देवानां कार्यम्)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात् (therefore/from that)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gṛham: home
• gṛham: Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• mahīpate: O lord of the earth (king)
• mahīpate: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī-pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (महीनां पतिः)

• kuru: do, carry out
• kuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• rājyam: kingdom, rule
• rājyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yathā-nyāyam: according to justice/propriety
• yathā-nyāyam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā + nyāya (अव्यय + प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

• pitṛ-paitāmaham: ancestral and inherited from forefathers
• pitṛ-paitāmaham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pitṛ + paitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (पितृ च पैतामहं च) विशेषण (to rājyam)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to rājyam)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king (māhīpati)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu instructs the king to return home and rule justly; the king rises from worship, receiving a mandate. Background may show the road from the tīrtha back to the capital, symbolizing transition from sacred retreat to public duty.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual attainment supports social order: divine grace culminates in just governance and dharmic responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is indirectly glorified as the place where Viṣṇu commissions the king for deva-kārya and rājadharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; the instruction is ethical—govern yathānyāya (according to justice).