Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

चौराणां पार्थिवानां च दम्पत्योश्च विशेषतः । स्वल्पोदकास्तथा मेघाः स्वल्पसस्या च मेदिनी

Transliteration

caurāṇāṃ pārthivānāṃ ca dampatyośca viśeṣataḥ | svalpodakāstathā meghāḥ svalpasasyā ca medinī

Translation

ในหมู่โจรและพระราชา และโดยเฉพาะระหว่างสามีกับภรรยา ความบาดหมางครอบงำอยู่ น้ำย่อมพร่อง เมฆให้ฝนน้อย และแผ่นดินให้พืชผลเพียงน้อยนิด

Word by Word

• caurāṇām: of thieves
• caurāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• pārthivānām: of kings/rulers
• pārthivānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• dampatyoḥ: of the husband and wife (the couple)
• dampatyoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dampatī (प्रातिपदिक; द्विवचन-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine; 'दम्पती' couple), षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Genitive/Locative 6th/7th), द्विवचन (Dual); अत्र षष्ठी (of the couple)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Prakāra (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'especially')

• svalpa-udakāḥ: having little water / scanty-watered
• svalpa-udakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('स्वल्पं उदकं येषां/स्वल्पोदकाः' = having little water), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Prakāra (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• meghāḥ: clouds
• meghāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: megha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• svalpa-sasyā: having little crop / scanty in produce
• svalpa-sasyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + sasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('स्वल्पं सस्यं यस्याः' = having little crop), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• medinī: the earth/land
• medinī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Nārada (addressing Pitāmaha/Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame, typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split tableau: on one side thieves and soldiers clash; on another a king’s court in turmoil; a couple quarrels in a dim room; above, thin clouds and a parched landscape with cracked earth and stunted crops.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Kali-yuga
• Kings (Pārthiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma collapses in society and governance, even nature mirrors the imbalance through scarcity and failed rains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; it frames the urgency for protecting renowned tīrthas like Puṣkara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes consequences rather than prescribing a rite.