Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

पर्वतानां यथा मेरुर्द्विपदानां द्विजोत्तमः । स्थानजानां तु विप्राणां श्रेष्ठोऽष्टकुलिकस्तथा

Transliteration

parvatānāṃ yathā merurdvipadānāṃ dvijottamaḥ | sthānajānāṃ tu viprāṇāṃ śreṣṭho'ṣṭakulikastathā

Translation

যেনেকৈ পৰ্বতসমূহৰ মাজত মেৰু সৰ্বোচ্চ, আৰু দ্বিপদসমূহৰ মাজত দ্বিজোত্তম (উত্তম দ্বিজ) প্ৰধান, তেনেকৈ সেই স্থানত জন্মা বিপ্ৰসকলৰ মাজত অষ্টকুলিকো তদ্ৰূপে শ্ৰেষ্ঠ।

Word by Word

• पर्वतानाम्: of mountains
• पर्वतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative: “as/like”)

• मेरुः: Meru (mountain)
• मेरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• द्विपदानाम्: of bipeds
• द्विपदानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वौ पादौ यस्य/येषाम्)

• द्विजोत्तमः: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (षष्ठी/निर्धारण-तत्पुरुष): द्विजानाम् उत्तमः

• स्थानजानाम्: of the place-born (people)
• स्थानजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थानज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: “but/indeed”)

• विप्राणाम्: of Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठः: best
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अष्टकुलिकः: the Aṣṭakulika
• अष्टकुलिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट + कुलिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष): अष्टकुलसम्बद्धः

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुलना-अव्यय (correlative: “so/likewise”)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Meru rises in the background like a golden axis; in the foreground, a dignified dvija-uttama (aṣṭakulika) stands at the tīrtha with a staff, while pilgrims line up for blessings and instructions.

Characters & Entities

• Meru
• Dvijottama
• Aṣṭakulika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual life values hierarchy grounded in dharma: the ‘best’ is identified to protect ritual purity and maximize sacred outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies the sanctity of the local tīrtha-region (sthāna) in general; it does not specify a named tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It reinforces a norm for tīrtha ceremonies: honor and engage the foremost among the place-born Brāhmaṇas—here identified as Aṣṭakulika.