Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

भवंति बहवोऽनर्थाः प्रजानां नाशहेतवे । तस्माद्राज्ञा तु कर्तव्यो धर्म्मः श्रद्धापरेण हि

Transliteration

bhavaṃti bahavo'narthāḥ prajānāṃ nāśahetave | tasmādrājñā tu kartavyo dharmmaḥ śraddhāpareṇa hi

Translation

ความวิบัติอันมากมายย่อมบังเกิด เป็นเหตุแห่งความพินาศของประชาชน เพราะฉะนั้นกษัตริย์พึงทรงตั้งมั่นในธรรมะ ด้วยศรัทธาและความรอบคอบ

Word by Word

• भवन्ति: arise, occur
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (भू)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अनर्थाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अनर्थाः: misfortunes
• अनर्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• प्रजानाम्: of the people
• प्रजानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• नाश-हेतवे: for (their) destruction
• नाश-हेतवे: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम; तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृकरणे (agent in passive)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• कर्तव्यः: must be performed
• कर्तव्यः: Vidhyartha (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (कृञ् करणे) + तव्यत् (कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: 'to be done')

• धर्मः: dharma, righteous duty
• धर्मः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तव्यः इत्यस्य विषयः

• श्रद्धा-परेण: by one devoted to faith
• श्रद्धा-परेण: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; राज्ञा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• हि: for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-निपात (particle: 'for/indeed')

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: null

Type: null

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dwijas (brāhmaṇas) addressed in-frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic image of the ideal king: holding a dharma-śāstra or scepter, listening to brāhmaṇas, distributing justice and charity; behind him the land becomes fertile and citizens peaceful—anartha recedes.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is the king’s foremost duty; faithful, principled rule prevents societal ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is praised in this verse; it is a universal dharma teaching within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is listed; the ‘prescription’ is righteous governance grounded in śraddhā.