Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

शाकल्य उवाच । राजाऽदेशः सदा कार्यः पुरुषैर्देशवासिभिः । योगक्षेमविधानाय तथा लाभाय केवलम्

Transliteration

śākalya uvāca | rājā'deśaḥ sadā kāryaḥ puruṣairdeśavāsibhiḥ | yogakṣemavidhānāya tathā lābhāya kevalam

Translation

శాకల్యుడు అన్నాడు—దేశంలో నివసించే పురుషులు ఎల్లప్పుడూ రాజాజ్ఞను నిర్వర్తించాలి; అది వారి యోగక్షేమ రక్షణకూ, లాభసమృద్ధికీ మాత్రమే ఉద్దేశించబడింది.

Word by Word

• शाकल्यः: Śākalya
• शाकल्यः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आदेशः: command/order
• आदेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• कार्यः: to be done/obeyed
• कार्यः: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• पुरुषैः: by men
• पुरुषैः: Kartr-karana (Agent group/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (plural)

• देशवासिभिः: by the inhabitants of the land
• देशवासिभिः: Kartr-karana (Agent/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (those dwelling in the country)

• योगक्षेमविधानाय: for arranging welfare and security
• योगक्षेमविधानाय: Sampradana/Prayojana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग + क्षेम + विधान (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of arranging welfare and security)

• तथा: and also/likewise
• तथा: Nipata/Kriya-viseshana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (thus/also)

• लाभाय: for gain/benefit
• लाभाय: Sampradana/Prayojana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• केवलम्: only/merely
• केवलम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial: only/merely)

Speaker

Śākalya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śākalya speaks with measured authority, explaining that the king’s orders are to be executed by the realm’s inhabitants for yogakṣema and prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Śākalya
• rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma in society includes honoring rightful royal governance, which is portrayed as safeguarding collective welfare (yogakṣema).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as rājadharma instruction within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; no single tīrtha is explicitly named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it is a normative instruction about civic obedience and welfare.