Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

मानुष्ये दुर्लभं लोके तत्राऽपि च कुलीनता । तत्रापि सदयत्वं च तत्र सत्संगमः शुभः

Transliteration

mānuṣye durlabhaṃ loke tatrā'pi ca kulīnatā | tatrāpi sadayatvaṃ ca tatra satsaṃgamaḥ śubhaḥ

Translation

In dieser Welt ist die menschliche Geburt schwer zu erlangen; noch seltener ist edles Verhalten. Seltener noch ist Mitgefühl—und in diesem Mitgefühl ist die glückverheißende Gemeinschaft der Tugendhaften (Satsaṅga) der höchste Segen.

Word by Word

• मानुष्ये: in human life
• मानुष्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (locative): ‘in human (birth/state)’

• दुर्लभम्: rare
• दुर्लभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन

• तत्र: there/in that
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: ‘there/in that’)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: ‘and’)

• कुलीनता: nobility of lineage
• कुलीनता: Karta/Viṣaya (Subject/topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलीनता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• तत्र: there/in that
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: particle: ‘also/even’

• सदयत्वम्: compassion
• सदयत्वम्: Karta/Viṣaya (Subject/topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदयत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: conjunction

• तत्र: there/in that
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• सत्संगमः: company of the good
• सत्संगमः: Karta/Viṣaya (Subject/topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सतां संगमः)

• शुभः: auspicious
• शुभः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘satsaṅgamaḥ’)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration typically via Sūta to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-like tableau: a human birth symbolized by a newborn; then a dignified person practicing noble conduct; then an act of compassion (feeding, protecting); culminating in a circle of sādhus and devotees in satsanga with scripture recitation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human birth is rare, and its fulfillment is found through compassion and the uplifting company of the virtuous (satsaṅga).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is a general dharma-teaching within the Tīrthamāhātmya context; no single named tīrtha appears in the line itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here; it emphasizes ethical cultivation (compassion) and seeking holy company.