Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

मृता यांति तथा राजन्येऽत्र केचिन्महीतले । ते जायंते न मर्त्येऽत्र यावद्वंशस्य संस्थितिः

Transliteration

mṛtā yāṃti tathā rājanye'tra kecinmahītale | te jāyaṃte na martye'tra yāvadvaṃśasya saṃsthitiḥ

Translation

О царь, некоторые, умирая здесь на земле, достигают того состояния; и пока их род продолжает существовать, они не рождаются вновь здесь среди смертных.

Word by Word

• मृताः: dead; having died
• मृताः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मृ (धातु) + त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/त-प्रत्यय); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of 'केचित्')

• यान्ति: they go
• यान्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• तथा: thus; in that manner
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• केचित्: some (persons)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite: 'some')

• महीतले: on the earth's surface
• महीतले: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—मही + तल (भूमेः तलम्)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• जायन्ते: are born
• जायन्ते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• मर्त्ये: in the mortal world
• मर्त्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• यावत्: as long as; until
• यावत्: Kāla/Avadhi (Temporal limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिवाचक (until/as long as)

• वंशस्य: of the lineage
• वंशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• संस्थितिः: continuance; existence
• संस्थितिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teacher addresses the king: some dead attain a certain state and are not reborn among mortals while their lineage remains—suggesting ancestors sustained by descendants’ continuity.

Characters & Entities

• Bhartṛyajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Continuity of lineage is portrayed as a sustaining factor affecting the departed and their return to mortal birth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports the broader tīrtha-context by explaining post-death states connected with dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the implication aligns with duties of descendants such as śrāddha and family dharma.