Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9
Devanagari script
राजोवाच । स्वधर्म एष भूपानां कुर्वंति मृगसंक्षयम् । तस्मात्स्वधर्मसंयुक्तं न मां त्वं शप्तुमर्हसि
Transliteration
rājovāca | svadharma eṣa bhūpānāṃ kurvaṃti mṛgasaṃkṣayam | tasmātsvadharmasaṃyuktaṃ na māṃ tvaṃ śaptumarhasi
Translation
พระราชาตรัสว่า “นี่คือสวธรรมของกษัตริย์ทั้งหลาย คือการลดจำนวนสัตว์ป่าในพงไพร ดังนั้นเรากระทำตามธรรมของตน ท่านไม่ควรสาปเรา”
Word by Word
राजाthe king
राजा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
स्वधर्मःone's own duty
स्वधर्मः:
Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य धर्मः)
एषःthis
एषः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
भूपानाम्of kings
भूपानाम्:
Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootभूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
कुर्वन्तिdo, perform
कुर्वन्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन
मृगसंक्षयम्destruction of deer (hunting)
मृगसंक्षयम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमृग + संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृगाणां संक्षयः)
तस्मात्therefore, from that
तस्मात्:
Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
स्वधर्मसंयुक्तम्connected with one's duty
स्वधर्मसंयुक्तम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वधर्म + संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (स्वधर्मेण संयुक्तम्)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
माम्me
माम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
त्वम्you
त्वम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formमध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
शप्तुम्to curse
शप्तुम्:
Karma/Prayojana (Object/Purpose)
TypeVerb
Rootशप् (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive/तुमन्त), क्रियार्थक
अर्हसिought, are fit
अर्हसि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअर्ह् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन
Speaker
Rājā (the king)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A king in hunting attire argues before a speaking doe in a forest clearing; attendants and bows visible; moral tension rather than violence emphasized.
Characters & Entities
R
rājā (king)B
bhūpāḥ (kings)M
mṛga (deer/game)FAQs
Invoking svadharma is not a blanket defense; dharma requires discernment about circumstance and harm.
No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is part of the lead-up to tīrtha-related resolution.
None; this is a dharma-argument by the king.