Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

प्रोवाचाथ जनान्सर्वान्मां पूजयत सर्वदा । न मामभ्यधिकोऽन्योऽस्ति देवो वा ब्राह्मणोऽपि वा

Transliteration

provācātha janānsarvānmāṃ pūjayata sarvadā | na māmabhyadhiko'nyo'sti devo vā brāhmaṇo'pi vā

Translation

Dann sprach er zu allen Leuten: „Verehrt mich immer! Es gibt niemanden, der mir überlegen ist – weder ein Gott noch ein Brahmane.“

Word by Word

• provāca: said, proclaimed
• provāca: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra- (उपसर्ग) + vac (वच्-धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• atha: then
• atha: Discourse marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक-निपात (then/now)

• janān: people
• janān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• pūjayata: worship (you all)
• pūjayata: Kriya (क्रिया/Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (पूज्-धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• sarvadā: always
• sarvadā: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्यय (always)

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• abhyadhikaḥ: superior
• abhyadhikaḥ: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi- (उपसर्ग) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• anyaḥ: another (person)
• anyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• asti: is, exists
• asti: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस्-धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• devaḥ: god
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Connector (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• brāhmaṇaḥ: Brahmin
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• api: even, also
• api: Emphasis/Addition (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• vā: or
• vā: Connector (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

Speaker

Narrator quoting the impious king (deduced from context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king stands before an assembly, arm raised in command, demanding worship; frightened citizens bow reluctantly while priests recoil; above, unseen divine presence is suggested by a faint radiance, contrasting human arrogance with cosmic order.

Characters & Entities

• people (janāḥ)
• deva
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-deification and contempt for gods and Brāhmaṇas is portrayed as extreme pride (ahaṃkāra) leading to ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it intensifies the narrative of adharma that tīrtha and devotion counteract.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A perverted ‘prescription’ is shown—ordering people to worship the king—presented as adharma, not a sanctioned rite.