Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

यत्र सीदंति धर्मिष्ठा नराः सत्यपरायणाः । दान्ता विवेकिनः शान्तास्तथा परहिते रताः

Transliteration

yatra sīdaṃti dharmiṣṭhā narāḥ satyaparāyaṇāḥ | dāntā vivekinaḥ śāntāstathā parahite ratāḥ

Translation

اس جگہ دین دار، سچ کے پابند، نفس کو قابو میں رکھنے والے، صاحبِ تمیز، پُرامن اور خلقِ خدا کے خیر خواہ لوگ بھی مصیبت اور رنج میں ڈوب جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• sīdanti: sink/decline/are distressed
• sīdanti: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sad (सद्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• dharmiṣṭhāḥ: most righteous
• dharmiṣṭhāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharmiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक; dharma+इष्ठ)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

• narāḥ: men/people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• satyaparāyaṇāḥ: devoted to truth
• satyaparāyaṇāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya-parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; satya+parāyaṇa)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

• dāntāḥ: self-controlled
• dāntāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dānta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dam (दम्) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

• vivekinaḥ: discerning
• vivekinaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vivekin (प्रातिपदिक; viveka+in)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

• śāntāḥ: peaceful
• śāntāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √śam (शम्) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'and likewise')

• parahite: in others' welfare
• parahite: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para-hita (प्रातिपदिक; para+hita)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; अधिकरण (locative of sphere)

• ratāḥ: engaged/delighting
• ratāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ram (रम्) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण narāḥ

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of serene ascetic-like householders—calm faces, simple dress—surrounded by a harsh world; despite their peace and charity, they are shown weighed down, yet inwardly luminous.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A key mark of adharma is that virtuous, truth-loving people are pushed into suffering while disorder prevails.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it supports the māhātmya’s contrast between dhārmic and adhārmic regions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.