Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

क्षत्रियैर्ब्राह्मणः शास्यो भार्यया च पतिस्तथा । उन्मार्गगामिनं श्रेष्ठमपि वेदान्तपारगम्

Transliteration

kṣatriyairbrāhmaṇaḥ śāsyo bhāryayā ca patistathā | unmārgagāminaṃ śreṣṭhamapi vedāntapāragam

Translation

البراهمة إذا ضلّ عن الطريق ينبغي أن يُقوَّم حتى على يد الكشاتريا؛ وكذلك الزوج تُقوِّمه زوجته—إن سلك سبيل الضلال، ولو كان جليلًا متبحّرًا في الفيدانتا.

Word by Word

• क्षत्रियैः: by the kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• शास्यः: to be governed/controlled
• शास्यः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास् (धातु) + यत्-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: भविष्यत्कर्मणि/विधेय-भावे यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘शासितव्यः’

• भार्यया: by the wife
• भार्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पतिः: a husband
• पतिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/so too
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• उन्मार्गगामिनम्: one who goes on a wrong path
• उन्मार्गगामिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मार्ग + गामिन् (प्रातिपदिक); गम् (धातु) → गामिन्
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उन्मार्गे गामिन्), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठम्: even (if) excellent
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

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

• वेदान्तपारगम्: one who has mastered Vedānta
• वेदान्तपारगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेदान्त + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदान्तस्य पारगः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from the continuous dharma-upadeśa tone in the adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa with Vedānta texts is gently but firmly stopped by a kṣatriya guardian at a temple threshold; in a parallel vignette, a wife counsels her husband away from a wrongful act; dharma is depicted as a luminous path behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Vedānta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning and status do not sanctify wrongdoing; whoever deviates from dharma should be corrected, irrespective of rank.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific site is not named in this verse; it provides dharmic standards within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is described; the instruction concerns moral governance and correction of unmārga (wrong conduct).