Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

कथंचिदपि यद्येष जीवयिष्यति पार्थिव । पितृमातृपुरार्थे च देशानुत्सादयिष्यति

Transliteration

kathaṃcidapi yadyeṣa jīvayiṣyati pārthiva | pitṛmātṛpurārthe ca deśānutsādayiṣyati

Translation

Muôn tâu đại vương, nếu bằng cách nào đó đứa trẻ này còn sống được, thì vì những mục đích của cha mẹ và lòng ham muốn thành trì cùng quyền bính, nó sẽ tàn phá các miền đất.

Word by Word

• कथंचित्: somehow
• कथंचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: somehow)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even/also)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त-सम्बन्धी (conditional conjunction)

• एषः: this (boy)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जीवयिष्यति: will survive / will be kept alive
• जीवयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative: will cause to live / will keep alive)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पितृमातृपुरार्थे: for the sake of father, mother, and city
• पितृमातृपुरार्थे: Adhikarana (Purpose-context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + मातृ + पुर + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां मातॄणां च पुरस्य च अर्थः)

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

• देशान्: countries/regions
• देशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• उत्सादयिष्यति: will devastate
• उत्सादयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + सद् (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: लृट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative: will destroy/ruin)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (court astrologer-priests) addressing the King

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Astrologers describe a shadowed future: a young prince silhouetted against burning villages/ruined fields in a prophetic vision, while the king recoils in sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• pārthiva (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked fate-signs and ambition can harm society; dharmic restraint and remedial rites are implied as safeguards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse itself is part of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya narrative frame; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified here; the concern sets up the later recommendation of graha-śānti (pacificatory rites).