Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39
अष्टादशमिता नीचाः प्रकृतानां यथातथा । विधिनैव क्रिया नैव स्मृति मार्गोऽपि नैव च
aṣṭādaśamitā nīcāḥ prakṛtānāṃ yathātathā | vidhinaiva kriyā naiva smṛti mārgo'pi naiva ca
ويُقال إنّ ذوي المولد الوضيع ثمانيةَ عشرَ صنفًا، على اختلاف ما يُوجَدون به في المجتمع. فليس لهم عملٌ شعائريّ على وفق الحكم المقرّر، ولا حتى سبيلٌ مرسومٌ في السِّمْرِتي (Smṛti).
Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)
Scene: A didactic assembly scene: a sage or narrator instructs pilgrims about dharma-eligibility and alternative duties; listeners include mixed social groups at a pilgrimage rest-house (maṭha/śālā) near a tīrtha.
FAQs
The verse reflects a traditional normative framework where ritual eligibility is linked to adherence to established dharma codes.
No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.
It states an exclusion: no vidhic ritual action and no Smṛti-based path is acknowledged for the ‘nīca’ groups as defined here.