Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

राजा भूत्वा न यः सम्यग्विचारयति वादिनम् । तस्य तत्पातकं घोरं राज्ञश्चैव प्रजायते

Transliteration

rājā bhūtvā na yaḥ samyagvicārayati vādinam | tasya tatpātakaṃ ghoraṃ rājñaścaiva prajāyate

Translation

جو شخص بادشاہ ہو کر بھی فریادی کی عرضداشت کو ٹھیک طرح نہیں پرکھتا، اسی بادشاہ پر وہ ہولناک گناہِ کبیرہ واقع ہوتا ہے۔

Word by Word

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

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having become)

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

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

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विचारयति: examines, judges
• विचारयति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: 'cause to be examined'/to examine)

• वादिनम्: the litigant/speaker
• वादिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्-पातकम्: that sin/crime
• तत्-पातकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तत् एव पातकम्)

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of पातकम्)

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• प्रजायते: arises, accrues
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrative context (Didactic statement within Tīrthamāhātmya; likely Sūta or a dharma-instructor figure)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king on the judgment seat ignores or dismisses a petitioner; a shadowy aura of ‘ghora pāṭaka’ looms behind the throne; sages gesture toward scriptures, urging proper inquiry.

Characters & Entities

• King (rājā)
• Litigant (vādin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous governance requires careful inquiry; failure in justice becomes a grave karmic fault for the ruler.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as dharma-teaching within a broader tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets up the need for later purification practices.