Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सत्यमेतत्पुरा प्रोक्तं नीतिशास्त्रविचक्षणैः । यस्य वर्णस्य यो राजा स वर्णः सुखमेधते

Transliteration

satyametatpurā proktaṃ nītiśāstravicakṣaṇaiḥ | yasya varṇasya yo rājā sa varṇaḥ sukhamedhate

Translation

ข้อนี้เป็นความจริงดังที่บัณฑิตผู้ชำนาญนีติศาสตร์กล่าวไว้แต่โบราณว่า วรรณะใดมีพระราชาผู้ยึดมั่นต่อวรรณะนั้น วรรณะนั้นย่อมรุ่งเรืองด้วยความสุข

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Karta (Predicative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेय (it is true)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/earlier)

• प्रोक्तम्: was said
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with ‘एतत्’)

• नीतिशास्त्रविचक्षणैः: by those skilled in political science
• नीतिशास्त्रविचक्षणैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीति + शास्त्र + विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (नीतिशास्त्रे विचक्षणाः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वर्णस्य: of the class/varna
• वर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Correlative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वर्णः: varna/class
• वर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुखम्: happily/with ease
• सुखम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (क्रियाविशेषणवत्), एकवचन

• एधते: prospers
• एधते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: एध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within the narrative; likely the admonishing vipras)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The rebuke shifts into a teaching moment: an elder brāhmaṇa raises a hand in instruction (upadeśa), others listen; Kuśa stands attentive, the chaos receding into a calmer, didactic tableau.

Characters & Entities

• nītiśāstra
• rājā
• varṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Societal well-being is linked to righteous leadership; dharmic kingship enables collective flourishing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this standalone verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a maxim of governance and ethics.