Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

सा पुनाति कुलं सर्वं मातृतः पितृतस्तथा । एष एव मया प्रोक्तः सच्छूद्राणां परो विधिः

Transliteration

sā punāti kulaṃ sarvaṃ mātṛtaḥ pitṛtastathā | eṣa eva mayā proktaḥ sacchūdrāṇāṃ paro vidhiḥ

Translation

هي تُطهِّر الأسرة كلَّها، من جهة الأم ومن جهة الأب أيضًا. وهذا وحده، كما أعلنتُ، هو الحكم الأعلى المقرَّر للشودرا الأتقياء.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• पुनाति: purifies
• पुनाति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• कुलम्: family/lineage
• कुलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• मातृतः: from the mother’s side
• मातृतः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'from/on the mother's side'

• पितृतः: from the father’s side
• पितृतः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'from/on the father's side'

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकार: अव्यय/समुच्चयार्थ-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'also/likewise')

• एषः: this (rule)
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रोक्तः: has been stated/declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (passive sense)

• सच्छूद्राणाम्: of the good śūdras
• सच्छूद्राणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समास: कर्मधारय (सत्-शूद्र = 'good/true śūdra')

• परः: supreme/highest
• परः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• विधिः: rule/ordinance
• विधिः: Karta/Pradhana (कर्ता/प्रधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic teacher addressing a sage/king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Symbolic purification of two lineages: the bride as a luminous central figure linking two family trees; elders on both sides receiving blessings; subtle ancestral presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous conduct in family life is portrayed as spiritually purifying for one’s whole lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It points to a ‘para-vidhi’ (highest ordinance) centered on dharmic marriage and conduct for householders.