Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

शौर्यभावपरित्यक्ताः परदारविमर्दकाः । पूजयन्ति न ते विप्रान्न देवान्न गुरूनपि

Transliteration

śauryabhāvaparityaktāḥ paradāravimardakāḥ | pūjayanti na te viprānna devānna gurūnapi

Translation

Den Geist der Tapferkeit aufgegeben und die Frauen anderer entehrt, erweisen sie weder den Brahmanen noch den Göttern noch selbst ihren Lehrern Ehre.

Word by Word

• śaurya-bhāva-parityaktāḥ: having abandoned the attitude of valor
• śaurya-bhāva-parityaktāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaurya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + parityakta (कृदन्त; √tyaj त्यज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘ते’ इत्यस्य

• para-dāra-vimardakāḥ: violators of others’ wives
• para-dāra-vimardakāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + dāra (प्रातिपदिक) + vimardaka (प्रातिपदिक; √mṛd मृद् with vi-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘ते’ इत्यस्य

• pūjayanti: they worship/honor
• pūjayanti: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• te: they
• te: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• viprān: Brahmins
• viprān: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• na: nor/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• devān: gods
• devān: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• na: nor/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• gurūn: teachers/elders
• gurūn: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• api: even/also
• api: Samuccaya (Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A darkened village assembly where men ignore a seated guru and Brāhmaṇas, turn away from a small shrine, and pursue another’s wife—symbolizing social and sacred neglect.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vipra (Brahmins)
• Devas
• Gurus

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma stands on self-restraint and reverence; when lust and disrespect rise, spiritual and social order collapses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; it is part of a Kali-yuga description within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, honoring gurus, devas, and vipras is upheld as a dharmic duty, though no specific rite is detailed.