Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

पालनात्पोषणान्नॄणां धर्मो भवति वै ध्रुवम् । तत्तद्धर्मस्य भोक्ता त्वमित्येवं मनुरब्रवीत्

Transliteration

pālanātpoṣaṇānnṝṇāṃ dharmo bhavati vai dhruvam | tattaddharmasya bhoktā tvamityevaṃ manurabravīt

Translation

మనువు ఇలా చెప్పెను—మనుష్యుల పాలన, పోషణ వలననే ధర్మము నిశ్చయంగా స్థిరపడుతుంది. అందువల్ల ఆ ధర్మానికి భోక్త (బాధ్యత వహించువాడు) నీవే.

Word by Word

• pālanāt: from protection
• pālanāt: Apādāna (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pālana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• poṣaṇāt: from nourishment
• poṣaṇāt: Apādāna (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: poṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• nṝṇām: of men, of people
• nṝṇām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• dharmaḥ: dharma, righteousness
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• bhavati: arises, becomes
• bhavati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• dhruvam: certain, assured
• dhruvam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); विशेषण (predicate)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); निर्देशक

• tat: that (very)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); पुनरुक्ति-बल (emphatic repetition)

• dharmasya: of dharma
• dharmasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• bhoktā: enjoyer, recipient (of the fruits)
• bhoktā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhoktṛ (प्रातिपदिक; from bhuj-धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)

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

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-सूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• evam: in this way
• evam: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• manuḥ: Manu
• manuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• abravīt: said, spoke
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator/interlocutor citing Manu (contextual instruction on rājadharma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: ऋषि/वक्ता मनु-प्रमाण उद्धृत करते हुए; युधिष्ठिर ध्यानपूर्वक सुनते हैं; शास्त्र/ताड़पत्र, दण्ड-नीति का प्रतीक, सभा में गंभीरता।

Characters & Entities

• Manu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained by responsible governance—protecting and providing for people is a core religious duty with spiritual consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the textual setting, but this verse functions as a rājadharma maxim rather than site-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it presents a dharma principle grounded in Manu’s authority.