Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

स शुद्धो नागरो ज्ञेयो जातो देशांतरेष्वपि । पूर्वं विशोधयेद्वंशं ततो मातृकुलं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

sa śuddho nāgaro jñeyo jāto deśāṃtareṣvapi | pūrvaṃ viśodhayedvaṃśaṃ tato mātṛkulaṃ smṛtam

Translation

So geläutert soll er als ein Nāgara gelten, selbst wenn er in einem anderen Land geboren wurde. Zuerst sei seine Abstammung zu klären; danach ist auch die mütterliche Sippe gemäß der Überlieferung anzuerkennen.

Word by Word

• सः: he/that person
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शुद्धः: purified
• शुद्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नागरः: a Nāgara (person of Nāgara group)
• नागरः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• ज्ञेयः: to be known/considered
• ज्ञेयः: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त) → ज्ञेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय (gerundive: ‘to be known’)

• जातः: born
• जातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → जात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त

• देशान्तरेषु: in other regions/countries
• देशान्तरेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (देशस्य अन्तरम्)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• विशोधयेत्: should purify
• विशोधयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+शुध् (धातु) (कारणार्थे)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वंशम्: lineage
• वंशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• मातृकुलम्: mother's family
• मातृकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मातुः कुलम्)

• स्मृतम्: is stated/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → स्मृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; अत्र ‘इति स्मृतम्’ (so is said/remembered)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience seeking rules for Nāgara designation

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal recognition scene: scribes or elders record genealogy; two lines are symbolized—paternal tree and maternal tree—while the purified person stands respectfully, receiving a mark of acceptance (tilaka or sacred thread).

Characters & Entities

• Nāgara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification restores rightful standing, but dharma also values clarity of origins and responsible social continuity through family lines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it applies the results of tīrtha-linked purification to social recognition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A procedural rule: after śuddhi, verify/clarify the lineage first, then duly account for the maternal family line.