Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

न तस्याः सदृशः कश्चिद्वरोऽत्र धरणीतले । न स्वर्गे न च पाताले किं कृत्यं मेऽधुना भवेत्

Transliteration

na tasyāḥ sadṛśaḥ kaścidvaro'tra dharaṇītale | na svarge na ca pātāle kiṃ kṛtyaṃ me'dhunā bhavet

Translation

На этой земле нет жениха, равного ей — ни на небесах, ни в Патале. Что же мне делать теперь?

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्

• sadṛśaḥ: equal; similar
• sadṛśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• kaścit: anyone
• kaścit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; अनिश्चितवाचक (someone/anyone)

• varaḥ: a bridegroom; suitable husband
• varaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominal/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (here)

• dharaṇī-tale: on the earth’s surface
• dharaṇī-tale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—‘धरण्याः तलम्’ (on the surface of the earth)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• svarge: in heaven
• svarge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• na: nor
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• pātāle: in the netherworld
• pātāle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object—interrogative/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक

• kṛtyam: duty; what should be done
• kṛtyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; कर्तव्यवस्तु (what is to be done)

• me: for me
• me: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचनस्य एनक्लिटिक-रूपम् (to/for me; of me)

• adhunā: now
• adhunā: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhunā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (now)

• bhavet: might be; should be
• bhavet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/सम्भावना), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator quoting the king (pṛthivīpati)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king laments that no groom equals his daughter in earth, heaven, or the netherworld; the background subtly shows the three realms—city/earth, celestial clouds with devas, and nāga-loka/pātāla motifs—mirroring his thought.

Characters & Entities

• pṛthivīpati (king)
• svarga
• pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma seems impossible within ordinary options, one should seek higher guidance rather than act rashly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it expresses a dharmic predicament.