Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

यस्य नो जायते शुद्धिः शाखाभिर्मूलवंशगा । निग्रहस्तस्य कर्तव्यो द्विजार्हो द्विजसत्तमैः

Transliteration

yasya no jāyate śuddhiḥ śākhābhirmūlavaṃśagā | nigrahastasya kartavyo dvijārho dvijasattamaiḥ

Translation

Wenn die Reinheit eines Menschen nicht durch die Zweiglinien, die auf die Wurzel des Geschlechts zurückgehen, begründet wird, dann sollen die Vorzüglichsten unter den Zweimalgeborenen ihm die gebührende disziplinierende Beschränkung auferlegen, wie es der brahmanischen Eignung entspricht.

Word by Word

• यस्य: whose/of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive: whose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• नः: our/of us
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th) ‘नः’ (our/of us)

• जायते: arises/is produced
• जायते: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शाखाभिः: by branches/lineages
• शाखाभिः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• मूलवंशगा: belonging to the root lineage
• मूलवंशगा: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘मूलस्य वंशः’/‘मूलवंश’ + ग = ‘गच्छति/गता’ अर्थे: belonging to the root lineage); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘शुद्धिः’ इति विशेषण

• निग्रहः: restraint/punishment
• निग्रहः: Karta (Subject, passive necessity)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कर्तव्यः: should be done
• कर्तव्यः: Karya/vidheya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्य (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (तव्यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done/should be done)

• द्विजार्हः: proper/fit for Brahmins (to administer)
• द्विजार्हः: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘द्विजैः अर्हः’ = worthy of Brahmins), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘निग्रहः’ इति विशेषण

• द्विजसत्तमैः: by the best Brahmins
• द्विजसत्तमैः: Karta (Agent, in passive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारयभाव: ‘सत्तमाः द्विजाः’ = best of Brahmins), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/कर्ता), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध (by the best Brahmins)

Speaker

Narrative voice (speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of senior brāhmaṇas examines genealogical records or listens to testimony about a person’s lineage-branches; they impose a temporary restriction (nigraha) with calm authority, emphasizing dharma-protection rather than punishment.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (brāhmaṇas)
• Lineage branches (śākhā)
• Root lineage (mūla-vaṃśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual authority depends on verified purity and lineage; when verification fails, dharmic regulation by qualified brāhmaṇas is required.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya setting within Nāgara-khaṇḍa, though the verse focuses on social-ritual order rather than a site’s merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Verification of śuddhi via lineage documentation/recognition, and if absent, the application of nigraha (disciplinary restriction) by eminent brāhmaṇas.