Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । ग्रहा गावो नरेंद्राश्च ब्राह्मणाश्च विशेषतः । पूजिताः प्रतिपूज्यंते निर्दहंत्यपमानिताः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | grahā gāvo nareṃdrāśca brāhmaṇāśca viśeṣataḥ | pūjitāḥ pratipūjyaṃte nirdahaṃtyapamānitāḥ

Translation

নারদ বললেন—গ্রহ, গাভী, রাজা এবং বিশেষত ব্রাহ্মণ—সম্মানিত হলে সম্মান ফিরিয়ে দেন, আর অপমানিত হলে দগ্ধ করে দেন।

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ग्रहाः: planets
• ग्रहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नरेन्द्राः: kings (lords of men)
• नरेन्द्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् इन्द्राः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पूजिताः: when honored
• पूजिताः: Karta-dharma (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रतिपूज्यन्ते: are honored in return
• प्रतिपूज्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• निर्दहन्ति: burn, destroy
• निर्दहन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अपमानिताः: when insulted
• अपमानिताः: Karta-dharma (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप-मान् (धातु) + णिच् + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: णिजन्त-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (causative past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Nārada (explicit)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The boy (and by extension pilgrims)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada instructs with raised hand in teaching gesture; symbolic quartet appears: a radiant graha-disc, a cow, a crowned king, and a brāhmaṇa with yajñopavīta—arranged as emblems around him.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Grahāḥ (planets)
• Gāvaḥ (cows)
• Narendrāḥ (kings)
• Brāhmaṇāḥ (brahmins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is relational: honor given to sacred powers and dharmic pillars returns as protection; insult returns as suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse provides general dharma instruction within a tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Honor/worship (pūjā) as a practical remedy—especially toward grahas, cows, kings, and brāhmaṇas.