Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

स्वाध्यायरहिताश्चैव शूद्रान्ननिरताः सदा । असत्प्रतिग्रहाः प्रायो जिह्वालौल्यसमुत्सुकाः

Transliteration

svādhyāyarahitāścaiva śūdrānnaniratāḥ sadā | asatpratigrahāḥ prāyo jihvālaulyasamutsukāḥ

Translation

Ohne Svādhyāya (vedisches Selbststudium), stets auf Speise von Śūdras bedacht, zumeist unziemliche Gaben annehmend und durch die Gier der Zunge begierig—so werden sie sein.

Word by Word

• स्वाध्यायरहिताः: devoid of Vedic study
• स्वाध्यायरहिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाध्याय + रहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural); तत्पुरुष (determinative: “devoid of self-study”)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• शूद्रान्ननिरताः: addicted to Śūdra food
• शूद्रान्ननिरताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूद्र + अन्न + निरत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural); तत्पुरुष (determinative: “engaged in Śūdra-food”)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Temporal modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time: “always”)

• असत्प्रतिग्रहाः: takers of improper gifts
• असत्प्रतिग्रहाः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत् + प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural); तत्पुरुष (determinative: “acceptance of improper gifts”)

• प्रायः: mostly
• प्रायः: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रायशः-अर्थे (adverb: “mostly/for the most part”)

• जिह्वालौल्यसमुत्सुकाः: eager from greed of the tongue
• जिह्वालौल्यसमुत्सुकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिह्वा + लौल्य + समुत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural); तत्पुरुष (determinative: “eager due to fickleness of the tongue”)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priestly figure neglecting study: manuscripts untouched; he reaches for rich food offerings, while dubious patrons offer gifts; a contrasting figure nearby reads quietly and eats simply, symbolizing dhārmic alternative.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of svādhyāya and indulgence in appetite and unethical gain are presented as hallmarks of dharmic decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the verse gives a general moral diagnosis within a tīrtha-focused chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies the importance of svādhyāya and ethical rules around pratigraha (accepting gifts), but does not prescribe a particular ritual.