Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

इर्ष्याधर्मं समास्थाय परमं द्विजसत्तमाः । एक एव कृतस्तेन द्वारपालो नपुंसकः

Transliteration

irṣyādharmaṃ samāsthāya paramaṃ dvijasattamāḥ | eka eva kṛtastena dvārapālo napuṃsakaḥ

Translation

হে দ্বিজশ্রেষ্ঠগণ! ঈর্ষাজনিত অধর্ম অবলম্বন করে সে কেবল একজন দ্বারপাল নিযুক্ত করল—এক নপুংসক।

Word by Word

• इर्ष्याधर्मम्: the practice/way of jealousy
• इर्ष्याधर्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इर्ष्या-धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इर्ष्यायाः धर्मः)

• समास्थाय: having adopted
• समास्थाय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having adopted/resorted to’

• परमम्: extreme, highest
• परमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying इर्ष्याधर्मम्)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of Brahmins (best among the twice-born)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासार्थः ‘द्विजानां सत्तमाः’

• एकः: one
• एकः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• कृतः: was made/appointed
• कृतः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘was made/appointed’

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• द्वारपालः: door-keeper
• द्वारपालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार-पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्वारस्य पालः)

• नपुंसकः: a eunuch
• नपुंसकः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण/प्रेडिकेट)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नपुंसक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जातिवाचक

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; traditionally Sūta narrating to sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijasattamāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guarded gate with a lone eunuch gatekeeper holding a staff; the master gives secretive instructions; atmosphere of suspicion and enclosure.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Jealousy (irṣyā) pushes a person into extreme adharma, leading to mistrust, control, and harmful restrictions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly stated in this verse; it functions as narrative groundwork within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes conduct and its moral tone.