Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

किं वा राज्ये मदीये च दीनानां प्रपतंति च । अश्रुपाता दिवारात्रं दुःखितानां समंततः

Transliteration

kiṃ vā rājye madīye ca dīnānāṃ prapataṃti ca | aśrupātā divārātraṃ duḥkhitānāṃ samaṃtataḥ

Translation

หรือว่าในอาณาจักรของเรานี้ เหล่าผู้ยากไร้ตกสู่ความพินาศ และน้ำตาของผู้ทุกข์ระทมไหลไม่ขาด ทั้งกลางวันและกลางคืน รอบด้านทุกทิศหรือ?

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object) / Pragṛhya interrogative (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• राज्ये: in the kingdom
• राज्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• मदीये: in my (own)
• मदीये: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of राज्ये)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; स्वत्ववाचक विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• दीनानाम्: of the poor/distressed
• दीनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रपतन्ति: they fall down / collapse
• प्रपतन्ति: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अश्रुपाताः: falls of tears / tear-sheddings
• अश्रुपाताः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्रु + पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अश्रूणां पाताः)

• दिवारात्रम्: day and night
• दिवारात्रम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: 'day and night')

• दुःखितानाम्: of the afflicted/sorrowful
• दुःखितानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• समन्ततः: everywhere / all around
• समन्ततः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'on all sides/entirely')

Speaker

A righteous king (addressing Indra/Śakra in supplication within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worried king in his court, hearing or envisioning the cries of the afflicted; citizens with tear-streaked faces around the palace precincts; the atmosphere heavy with foreboding.

Characters & Entities

• Dīnānām (the poor)
• Duḥkhitāḥ (the afflicted)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A king’s dharma is measured by the condition of the weakest; widespread tears signal adharma and demand immediate reform.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter; it underscores that a sacred region’s glory is upheld by compassionate governance, not merely by geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the implied duty is relief of suffering—protection, support, and just administration.