Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

सच्छूद्र उवाच । ब्रह्मन्वेदविदां श्रेष्ठ सर्वशास्त्रविशारद । स्त्रीशूद्रादिनिषेधोऽयं शालिग्रामे हि श्रूयते

Transliteration

sacchūdra uvāca | brahmanvedavidāṃ śreṣṭha sarvaśāstraviśārada | strīśūdrādiniṣedho'yaṃ śāligrāme hi śrūyate

Translation

Der tugendhafte Śūdra sprach: „O Brāhmaṇa, du Bester unter den Kennern der Veden und kundig in allen Śāstras — man vernimmt wahrlich, dass dieses Verbot hinsichtlich von Frauen, Śūdras und anderen im Zusammenhang mit dem Śāligrāma genannt wird.“

Word by Word

• सच्छूद्रः: the virtuous Shudra
• सच्छूद्रः: कर्ता (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सत्-शूद्र’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Speech verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin/O venerable one
• ब्रह्मन्: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; ‘हे ब्रह्मन्’

• वेदविदाम्: of the knowers of the Veda
• वेदविदाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive—among/of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘वेदं वेत्ति’ = वेदविद्

• श्रेष्ठ: best/excellent
• श्रेष्ठ: सम्बोधन (Address—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative)

• सर्वशास्त्रविशारद: skilled in all scriptures
• सर्वशास्त्रविशारद: सम्बोधन (Address—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः सम्भवति, परन्तु रूपतः तत्पुरुषः ‘सर्वेषु शास्त्रेषु विशारदः’

• स्त्रीशूद्रादिनिषेधः: the prohibition concerning women, Shudras, etc.
• स्त्रीशूद्रादिनिषेधः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + निषेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः: ‘स्त्री-शूद्र-आदि’ (द्वन्द्व/समाहार) + ‘निषेध’ (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषार्थ) = ‘स्त्रीशूद्रादीनां निषेधः’

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: विशेषण (Demonstrative to ‘निषेधः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शालिग्रामे: in/with regard to Śālagrāma
• शालिग्रामे: अधिकरण (Location/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालिग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतौ (indeed/for)

• श्रूयते: is heard/is stated
• श्रूयते: क्रिया (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Sacchūdra (a virtuous Śūdra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śāligrāma

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa teacher (addressed as vedavidāṃ śreṣṭha, sarvaśāstra-viśārada)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful śūdra devotee with folded hands questions a venerable brāhmaṇa teacher holding manuscripts; the Śāligrāma shrine is visible, symbolizing the topic under debate.

Characters & Entities

• Śāligrāma-śilā
• Veda
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It models dharmic inquiry: when traditions appear restrictive or unclear, one should seek clarification from learned authorities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on Śāligrāma-related practice and its traditional rules.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse raises (rather than resolves) the issue of prohibitions connected with Śāligrāma worship.