Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

न करोति च यो राजा ।भृत्यवर्गस्य पोषणम् । रौरवं नरकं याति स एवं हि श्रुतं मया

Transliteration

na karoti ca yo rājā |bhṛtyavargasya poṣaṇam | rauravaṃ narakaṃ yāti sa evaṃ hi śrutaṃ mayā

Translation

พระราชาผู้ใดไม่บำรุงเลี้ยงหมู่ข้าราชบริพารให้มีปัจจัยยังชีพ ผู้นั้นย่อมไปสู่นรกชื่อว่า ‘เราโรวะ’ ดังที่ข้าได้ยินมา

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• करोति: does
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भृत्यवर्गस्य: of the group of servants
• भृत्यवर्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भृत्यानां वर्गः)

• पोषणम्: nourishment, maintenance
• पोषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पोषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रौरवम्: Raurava (hell)
• रौरवम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• याति: goes (to)
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/कारणार्थक निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Reported/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + श्रुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent/Instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator/participant (continuing the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā/Pitāmaha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: the negligent king contrasted with the looming imagery of Raurava hell—dark ravines, cries, and punitive landscape—used as a cautionary vision.

Characters & Entities

• Raurava (Naraka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of one’s dependents is adharma with grave karmic consequences; protection and support are central to righteous rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it functions as dharma-teaching within the broader pilgrimage (tīrtha) discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it prescribes ethical governance—poṣaṇa (support) of servants and dependents.