Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

यत्र धर्मो ह्यधर्मेण पीड्यते सुरसत्तम । असत्येन तथा सत्यं भूपाश्चौरैः सदैव तु

Transliteration

yatra dharmo hyadharmeṇa pīḍyate surasattama | asatyena tathā satyaṃ bhūpāścauraiḥ sadaiva tu

Translation

ହେ ଦେବଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ସେଠାରେ ଅଧର୍ମ ଧର୍ମକୁ ପୀଡ଼ା ଦିଏ, ଅସତ୍ୟ ସତ୍ୟକୁ ଦମନ କରେ, ଏବଂ ରାଜାମାନେ ସଦା ଚୋରମାନଙ୍କ ପରି ଗଣ୍ୟ ହୁଅନ୍ତି (କିମ୍ବା ଚୋରବତ୍ ଆଚରଣ କରନ୍ତି)।

Word by Word

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• dharmaḥ: dharma/righteousness
• dharmaḥ: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• adharmeṇa: by adharma/unrighteousness
• adharmeṇa: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• pīḍyate: is oppressed/afflicted
• pīḍyate: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pīḍ (पीड्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• surasattama: O best of gods
• surasattama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura-sattama (प्रातिपदिक; sura+sattama)
• Form: सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• asatyena: by falsehood
• asatyena: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'likewise')

• satyam: truth
• satyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• bhūpāḥ: kings
• bhūpāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• cauraiḥ: by thieves
• cauraiḥ: Saha/Instrument (Association/सह or agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• sadaiva: always
• sadaiva: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā+eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: 'always')

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय-बोधक निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: surasattama (addressed deity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic courtroom/royal hall where Dharma is bound and Adharma enthroned; Truth is pushed down by Falsehood; a king is shown with a thief’s shadow—illustrating political and moral inversion.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A society collapses when truth and dharma are persecuted; governance becomes predatory and trust dissolves.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes conditions contrary to a dhārmic sacred land.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral and social diagnosis rather than a ritual injunction.