Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कुनखान्रोगसंयुक्तान्द्विर्नग्नान्परहिंसकान् । जनापवादसंयुक्तान्नास्तिकानृतकानपि

Transliteration

kunakhānrogasaṃyuktāndvirnagnānparahiṃsakān | janāpavādasaṃyuktānnāstikānṛtakānapi

Translation

Wer die Ehre der Pitṛs wahren will, sollte diejenigen ausschließen, die Nagelkrankheiten haben, die zweimal nackt gehen, die anderen schaden, die in Verleumdung verwickelt sind, Atheisten und Lügner.

Word by Word

• कुनखान्: those with bad/deformed nails
• कुनखान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कु + नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘कुनखाः यस्य’ इति बहुव्रीहिः; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)

• रोगसंयुक्तान्: afflicted with disease
• रोगसंयुक्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोग + संयुक्त (कृदन्त; युज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘रोगेण संयुक्त’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)

• द्विर्नग्नान्: twice-naked (habitually exposing)
• द्विर्नग्नान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विस् (अव्यय/संख्या) + नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘द्विः’ इत्यव्ययपूर्वक-अव्ययीभावसमासः; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)

• परहिंसकान्: harmers of others
• परहिंसकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + हिंसक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘परस्य हिंसकः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)

• जनापवादसंयुक्तान्: associated with public scandal/slander
• जनापवादसंयुक्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन + अपवाद + संयुक्त (कृदन्त; युज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘जनापवादेन संयुक्त’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (nested); विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)

• नास्तिकान्: atheists/deniers
• नास्तिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masc. acc. pl.)

• ऋतकान्: false/untruthful persons
• ऋतकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.; ‘untruthful/false’ sense in context)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (also)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional style; exact interlocutor not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha assembly at a ghat: calm, dharmic invitees seated on kuśa mats; shadowy figures representing hiṃsā, slander, and nāstikatā remain outside the ritual boundary marked by darbha and water pots.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is meant to honor the Pitṛs through truthfulness, non-violence, and social-ethical purity; those opposed to these values should not be invited.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of a Tīrthamāhātmya context but this specific line focuses on śrāddha eligibility rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A niyama (restriction): exclude certain categories of persons from participation in śrāddha offerings.