Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

नान्यथा ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः स्वल्पं वा यदि वा बहु । प्रोक्तं लक्षमितैरन्यैर्युष्मदीयपुरोद्भवैः

Transliteration

nānyathā brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ svalpaṃ vā yadi vā bahu | proktaṃ lakṣamitairanyairyuṣmadīyapurodbhavaiḥ

Translation

Es ist nicht anders, o erhabenste der Brāhmaṇas—sei die Sache gering oder groß. Dasselbe wurde auch von vielen anderen ausgesprochen, die aus eurer eigenen Stadt hervorgegangen sind.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: O best of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: Sambodhana (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘ब्राह्मणानां श्रेष्ठाः’

• svalpam: a little
• svalpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• bahu: much
• bahu: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• proktam: said/declared
• proktam: Karma (Predicative object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उक्तम्’

• lakṣamitaiḥ: by those numbering a lakh
• lakṣamitaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + mita (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘लक्षेण मिताः’ (numbering a lakh)

• anyaiḥ: by others
• anyaiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• yuṣmadīya-purodbhavaiḥ: by those born from your city
• yuṣmadīya-purodbhavaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuṣmadīya (प्रातिपदिक) + pura (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः—‘युष्मदीयस्य पुरस्य उद्भवाः’

Speaker

King (rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Garttātīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas addressed as 'brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ' (within the narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified assembly of brāhmaṇas in a city hall/temple courtyard; a speaker gestures calmly, emphasizing that the account is confirmed by many local authorities.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Citizens/elders of the city (purodbhavāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is validated through consistent teaching—supported by both learned guides and the living tradition of the sacred city.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the sacred city connected to Garttātīrtha in Nāgarakhaṇḍa Adhyāya 126.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes reliability of instruction in both minor and major duties.