Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

वंशोच्छेदं समासाद्य गमिष्यति यमालयम् । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन रक्षणीयमिदं पुरम् । मम वाक्याद्विशेषेण हितमिच्छद्भिरात्मनः

Transliteration

vaṃśocchedaṃ samāsādya gamiṣyati yamālayam | tasmātsarvaprayatnena rakṣaṇīyamidaṃ puram | mama vākyādviśeṣeṇa hitamicchadbhirātmanaḥ

Translation

เมื่อประสบความสิ้นสูญแห่งวงศ์ตระกูล เขาจักไปสู่สำนักของยมะ. ฉะนั้นพึงปกป้องนครนี้ด้วยความเพียรทุกประการ—โดยเฉพาะตามวาจาของเรา—โดยผู้ปรารถนาความเกื้อกูลแก่ตน.

Word by Word

• वंशोच्छेदम्: destruction of the lineage
• वंशोच्छेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश + उच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वंशस्य उच्छेदः)

• समासाद्य: having reached/meeting with
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerund) — ‘having reached/encountered’

• गमिष्यति: will go
• गमिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यमालयम्: to Yama’s abode
• यमालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य आलयः)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाववत् निपात-प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थक/निष्कर्षार्थक (therefore/from that reason)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with every effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘सर्वः प्रयत्नः’); करण-अर्थे

• रक्षणीयम्: must be protected
• रक्षणीयम्: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षणीय (कृदन्त; √रक्ष् (धातु) + अनीयर्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनीयर्-कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be protected’)

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

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘इदम्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाक्यात्: from (my) statement
• वाक्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable-like adverbial instrumental): ‘especially’

• हितम्: welfare, benefit
• हितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (कृदन्त; √धा (धातु) + क्त, ‘placed/beneficial’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘इच्छद्भिः’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• इच्छद्भिः: by those who desire
• इच्छद्भिः: Kartṛ (Agent in instrumental/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इच्छत् (कृदन्त; √इष् (धातु) शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle) — ‘desiring’

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (of oneself)

Speaker

A king/ruler (issuing a final emphatic injunction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proclamation scene: Skanda’s authority implied; townspeople and a ruler vow to protect the sacred town; in contrast, a shadow-vision shows Yama’s abode and a withered family tree symbolizing lineage extinction.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Safeguarding dharmic institutions protects one’s own welfare; violating them is said to destroy lineage and lead to Yama’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The town associated with Śaṅkhatīrtha in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strong dharmic injunction: protect the endowed town with full effort as a continuing obligation.