Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 134

Devanagari script

न लोभेन सुरश्रेष्ठ पश्यतस्ते विगर्हितः । अहं च ब्राह्मणैः सर्वैरेतैर्नगरवासिभिः

Transliteration

na lobhena suraśreṣṭha paśyataste vigarhitaḥ | ahaṃ ca brāhmaṇaiḥ sarvairetairnagaravāsibhiḥ

Translation

„O Bester unter den Göttern, nicht aus Gier war es—und doch, während du zusahst, bin ich von all diesen Brahmanen und den Stadtbewohnern geschmäht worden.“

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• lobhena: by greed
• lobhena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• sura-śreṣṭha: O best of gods
• sura-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/निर्देश: ‘श्रेष्ठः सुराणाम्’); पुल्लिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• paśyataḥ: while you are watching
• paśyataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive absolute/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश् धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ); षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘while (you) are seeing’

• te: of you/your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (enclitic)

• vigarhitaḥ: blameworthy/censured
• vigarhitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√garh (गर्ह् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त) विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• brāhmaṇaiḥ: by/with the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇaiḥ: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• sarvaiḥ: all
• sarvaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying brāhmaṇaiḥ)

• etaiḥ: these
• etaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying brāhmaṇaiḥ)

• nagara-vāsibhiḥ: by/with the city-dwellers
• nagara-vāsibhiḥ: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nagara (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘नगरे वासी’); पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Vātaka (addressing Śakra/Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vātaka gestures toward the crowd while addressing Indra: Indra stands as witness; the crowd of brāhmaṇas and townsmen condemn; Vātaka’s face shows pain yet restraint, indicating he was not greedy.

Characters & Entities

• Vātaka
• Śakra (Indra)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Nagaravāsins (city residents)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous intent may still face social scrutiny; dharma operates both inwardly (motive) and outwardly (community standards).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage remains part of the Gartā-tīrtha-centered account, though this verse emphasizes communal reaction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is taught; it clarifies that acceptance was not motivated by lobha (greed).