Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तत्रापि च महदुःखं ज्ञातिनाशसमुद्भवम् । एतदर्थे सुरश्रेष्ठ मया चाराधितो भवान्

Transliteration

tatrāpi ca mahaduḥkhaṃ jñātināśasamudbhavam | etadarthe suraśreṣṭha mayā cārādhito bhavān

Translation

แม้ในชาตินั้นด้วย จะมีความทุกข์ใหญ่เกิดจากความพินาศของญาติทั้งหลาย ด้วยเหตุนี้เอง ข้าแต่เทพผู้ประเสริฐ ข้าพระองค์จึงได้บูชานมัสการพระองค์

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक अव्यय/adverb of place)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि = also, even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• महत्-दुःखम्: great sorrow
• महत्-दुःखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.); कर्मधारयः—‘महच्च तत् दुःखम्’

• ज्ञाति-नाश-समुद्भवम्: arising from the loss of relatives
• ज्ञाति-नाश-समुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञाति (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘ज्ञातिनाशात् समुद्भवम्’ (arising from the destruction of kinsmen)

• एतत्-अर्थे: for this purpose
• एतत्-अर्थे: Prayojana/Adhikarana (Purpose-locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Loc. sg.); तत्पुरुषः—‘एतस्य अर्थे’ (for this purpose)

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Voc. sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘सुराणां श्रेष्ठः’

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instr. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• आराधितः: worshipped/propitiated
• आराधितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘आराधितः’ = ‘worshipped’

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom. sg.; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग)

Speaker

Dharmarāja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed devotee addresses the Lord with folded hands, speaking of impending kin-destruction and sorrow; the setting hints at a sacred precinct with pilgrims and a shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Śiva (addressed as Suraśreṣṭha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Foreseen suffering becomes a catalyst for devotion; worship is framed as a dharmic response to impending karmic pain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not specify the tīrtha; it continues the kṣetra-based worship narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (devotional propitiation/worship) is stated generally; specific items or steps are not repeated here.