Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29
Devanagari script
हा नाथ हा महाराज हा नित्यं धर्मवत्सल । त्वया हीना भविष्यामः कथमद्य सुदुःखिताः
Transliteration
hā nātha hā mahārāja hā nityaṃ dharmavatsala | tvayā hīnā bhaviṣyāmaḥ kathamadya suduḥkhitāḥ
Translation
“哀哉，吾主！哀哉，大王——恒常怜爱正法者！失却于你，今日我等被忧苦摧折，将何以为生？”
Word by Word
hāalas!
hā:
Sambodhana (Exclamation)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (उद्गार/interjection): शोक-सम्बोधन
nāthaO lord!
nātha:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootnātha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन
hāalas!
hā:
Sambodhana (Exclamation)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (उद्गार/interjection)
mahārājaO great king!
mahārāja:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (महान् राजा)
hāalas!
hā:
Sambodhana (Exclamation)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (उद्गार/interjection)
nityamalways
nityam:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnitya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): 'always'
dharmavatsalaO one devoted to dharma!
dharmavatsala:
Sambodhana (Address/epithet)
TypeAdjective
Rootdharma + vatsala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (धर्मे वत्सलः = affectionate to dharma)
tvayāby you / with you
tvayā:
Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण/हेतु (instrumental: by/with you)
hīnāḥdeprived (of you)
hīnāḥ:
Karta (Predicate describing subject 'we')
TypeAdjective
Roothīna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate) with implied 'vayam'
bhaviṣyāmaḥwe shall be
bhaviṣyāmaḥ:
Kriyā (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (धातु)
Formलृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन, परस्मैपदी
kathamhow?
katham:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक/interrogative adverb): 'how?'
adyatoday, now
adya:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootadya (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb of time): 'today/now'
suduḥkhitāḥvery sorrowful
suduḥkhitāḥ:
Karta (Predicate describing subject 'we')
TypeAdjective
Rootsu + duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (सु-दुःखिताः = very sorrowful) विधेय-विशेषण
Speaker
The king’s son and/or attendants/ministers (collective lament)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Ministers and citizens (or court members) cry out to the king with raised hands; the king stands solemn, embodying dharma, while the empty city looms behind.
FAQs
A righteous ruler is seen as a protector; dharmic leadership sustains society, and its loss brings collective anguish.
Not specified in this verse.
None.