Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

त्रिजात उवाच । मातृदोषादहं देव वैलक्ष्यं परमं गतः । मध्ये ब्राह्मणमुख्यानामानर्त्ताधिपतेस्तथा

Transliteration

trijāta uvāca | mātṛdoṣādahaṃ deva vailakṣyaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ | madhye brāhmaṇamukhyānāmānarttādhipatestathā

Translation

Trijāta sprach: „O Herr, durch die Schuld meiner Mutter bin ich in äußerste Schmach geraten — beschämt inmitten der vornehmsten Brāhmaṇas und ebenso vor dem Herrscher von Ānarta.“

Word by Word

• त्रिजातः: Trijāta (name)
• त्रिजातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trijāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/वचनक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मातृदोषात्: due to (my) mother’s fault
• मातृदोषात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समास: मातृ-दोष (mother’s fault)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देव: O Lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• वैलक्ष्यम्: shame; disgrace; awkwardness
• वैलक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vailakṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme, extreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘वैलक्ष्यम्’

• गतः: have reached/attained
• गतः: Kriya (Predicative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; with ‘अहम्’ = ‘I have gone/attained’

• मध्ये: in the midst of
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable postposition-like): locative sense ‘in the midst of’

• ब्राह्मणमुख्यानाम्: of the chief Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणमुख्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa + mukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समास: ब्राह्मण-मुख्य (chief among Brahmins)

• आनर्त्ताधिपतेः: of the ruler of Ānarta
• आनर्त्ताधिपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānarta + adhipati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समास: आनर्त्त-अधिपति (lord of Ānarta)

• तथा: and likewise; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable): ‘thus/also/likewise’

Speaker

Trijāta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta region tīrtha-context (leading to Camatkārapura)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Trijāta, humbled and distressed, speaks before Śiva’s visionary presence, describing his humiliation among eminent brāhmaṇas and the regional king.

Characters & Entities

• Trijāta
• Maheśvara (Śiva, addressed as Deva)
• Ānarta (region/kingdom)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acknowledging one’s stain and seeking the Lord’s refuge is the beginning of purification and restoration of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya stream, though this verse centers on the devotee’s plea.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse functions as a confession and petition to Śiva.