Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अनेन लोभयुक्तेन तिरस्कृत्य द्विजोत्तमान् । पुष्पवित्तमुपादाय प्रायश्चित्तं प्रकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

anena lobhayuktena tiraskṛtya dvijottamān | puṣpavittamupādāya prāyaścittaṃ prakīrtitam

Translation

„Durch diesen Mann, vom Begehren der Gier getrieben, sind die Besten der Dvija geschmäht worden. In der Angelegenheit von Puṣpas Vermögen wird hier ein Prāyaścitta, eine Sühnehandlung, verkündet.“

Word by Word

• अनेन: by this (person/act)
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लोभयुक्तेन: endowed with greed
• लोभयुक्तेन: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; तृतीया-समर्थ्ये ‘लोभेन युक्तः’

• तिरस्कृत्य: having insulted
• तिरस्कृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तिरस् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय-भाव (Gerund), ‘having insulted/treated with contempt’

• द्विजोत्तमान्: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘उत्तमाः द्विजाः’

• पुष्पवित्तम्: flowers and wealth
• पुष्पवित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (पुष्पं च वित्तं च)

• उपादाय: having taken
• उपादाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय-भाव (Gerund), ‘having taken/appropriated’

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation/penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रकीर्तितम्: has been declared
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘has been proclaimed’

Speaker

Nāgaras (collective speakers within Sūta’s narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Elders point out the accused’s greed and the insult to dvija-uttamas; a symbolic ‘Puṣpa’s wealth’ (a named person’s treasure/offerings) is referenced; the mood is corrective, not vengeful.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottamas (eminent Brāhmaṇas)
• Puṣpa
• Prāyaścitta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed that leads to disrespect of the dharmic guardians (dvijas) demands correction through expiation; social and spiritual order are intertwined.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode unfolds within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya milieu of Nāgara Khaṇḍa, where dharma is enforced as part of the kṣetra’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (expiatory discipline) is proclaimed in relation to wrongdoing connected with Puṣpa’s wealth and insult to dvijottamas.