Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

भूसुरेभ्यो गुरुभ्यश्च विमुक्तेभ्यश्च वंधनात् । यूयं गुणत्रयातीता गुणरूपा गुणाकराः

Transliteration

bhūsurebhyo gurubhyaśca vimuktebhyaśca vaṃdhanāt | yūyaṃ guṇatrayātītā guṇarūpā guṇākarāḥ

Translation

Ehrerbietung den Brāhmaṇas, den Gurus und den von Fesseln Befreiten. Ihr seid jenseits der drei Guṇas und doch deren Gestalt, eine Schatzgrube der Tugenden.

Word by Word

• भूसुरेभ्यः: to the earth-gods (brāhmaṇas)
• भूसुरेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूसुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भूः सुर इव)

• गुरुभ्यः: to the teachers
• गुरुभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• विमुक्तेभ्यः: to the liberated ones
• विमुक्तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमुक्त (कृदन्त, √मुच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (past passive participle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• वन्धनात्: from bondage
• वन्धनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• गुणत्रय-अतीताः: beyond the three guṇas
• गुणत्रय-अतीताः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + अतीत (कृदन्त, √इ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गुणत्रयम् अतीताः)

• गुणरूपाः: having guṇas as form
• गुणरूपाः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गुणः रूपम् यस्य)

• गुणाकराः: mine/abode of virtues
• गुणाकराः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गुणानाम् आकारः/आकरः)

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing narration; devas speaking within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakantaka

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas address the brāhmaṇas as liberated gurus: a calm, luminous aura surrounds the sages; subtle symbolism of three colored strands (sattva-white, rajas-red, tamas-black) dissolving into clear light, indicating guṇātīta state.

Characters & Entities

• Gurus
• Bhūsura (Brāhmaṇa)
• Guṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma esteems those established in liberation and knowledge—seen as transcending guṇas while radiating virtues for the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The praise occurs in the Amarakantaka section of the Narmadā tīrtha māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Honoring and saluting gurus, brāhmaṇas, and the liberated as a dharmic act.