Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

नापराधमिमं शक्तः सोढ़ुं चाहं कथंचन । अपि ब्राह्मणमुख्यस्य जनस्यान्यस्य का कथा

Transliteration

nāparādhamimaṃ śaktaḥ soḍha़ुṃ cāhaṃ kathaṃcana | api brāhmaṇamukhyasya janasyānyasya kā kathā

Translation

(Paraśurāma sprach:) „Ich vermag ein solches Vergehen auf keine Weise zu ertragen—erst recht, wenn es gegen einen erstrangigen Brāhmaṇa begangen wird; was wäre dann erst von anderen zu sagen?“

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• अपराधम्: offense
• अपराधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aparādha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of aparādham)

• शक्तः: able
• शक्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ahaṃ)

• सोढुम्: to endure
• सोढुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sah (सह् धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), “to endure/bear”

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

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• कथंचन: at all
• कथंचन: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: “in any way/at all”)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: “even”)

• ब्राह्मणमुख्यस्य: of a foremost Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणमुख्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + mukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (“chief among Brahmins”)

• जनस्य: of a person
• जनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अन्यस्य: of another
• अन्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of janasya)

• का: what (then)
• का: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Interrogative predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कथा: talk, question, possibility (lit. “story”)
• कथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Paraśurāma (implied by ‘aham’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (best of brāhmaṇas/sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma declares his inability to tolerate offense, eyes blazing yet controlled; sages appear concerned, embodying the counterweight of śama.

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma treats brāhmaṇa-aparādha as extremely serious; protecting the righteous is central to social and spiritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Adhyāya 94 tīrtha legend in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, where the site’s sanctity is framed through Paraśurāma’s conduct and instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it stresses ethical priority: avoidance of aparādha, especially toward brāhmaṇas.