Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

काणाष्टुंटाश्च मण्टाश्च वेदपाठविवर्जिताः । न ते पूज्या द्विजाः पार्थ मणिनागेश्वरे शुभे

Transliteration

kāṇāṣṭuṃṭāśca maṇṭāśca vedapāṭhavivarjitāḥ | na te pūjyā dvijāḥ pārtha maṇināgeśvare śubhe

Translation

O Pārtha, jene sogenannten kāṇāṣṭuṃṭa und maṇṭa, die ohne vedische Rezitation sind, sollen am glückverheißenden Maṇināgeśvara nicht als Zweimalgeborene verehrt werden.

Word by Word

• काणाष्टुंटाः: the one-eyed and the deformed (persons)
• काणाष्टुंटाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काण-अष्टुंट (प्रातिपदिक; काण=काणः/एकाक्षि + अष्टुंट=दोषविशेषः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (समूहवाचक)

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

• मण्टाः: maṇṭas (a class of defective/low persons)
• मण्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

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

• वेदपाठविवर्जिताः: devoid of Vedic recitation
• वेदपाठविवर्जिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-पाठ-विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + पाठ + विवर्जित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपातः

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

• पूज्याः: to be worshipped/honoured
• पूज्याः: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूज्य (कृदन्त, भाव्य/विधेय)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थकः (gerundive); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• द्विजाः: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; अपादान-निरूपणार्थं (predicate noun)

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्

• मणिनागेश्वरे: at Maṇināgeśvara
• मणिनागेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि-नाग-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; मणि + नाग + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; स्थान-अधिकरणम् (locative of place)

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Adhikarana (Locus qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with मणिनागेश्वरे)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator addressing a royal listener (pārtha used as an epithet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇināgeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Śiva temple of Maṇināgeśvara: the liṅga adorned with bilva and serpentine motifs; a patron respectfully honors Veda-chanting brāhmaṇas while declining unqualified claimants.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇināgeśvara
• Veda
• dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True religious honor is tied to adherence to dharma and sacred learning, not merely to social labels.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇināgeśvara, a Śaiva sacred spot praised within the Revā (Narmadā) Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not ritually honor as dvijas those who are explicitly described as lacking Vedic recitation, especially in the Maṇināgeśvara context.