Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

वैदिशे नगरे विप्रो नाम्नाऽसं धर्मजालिकः । वेदवेदांगतत्त्वत्रः स्मृतिशास्त्रार्थविद्वरः

Transliteration

vaidiśe nagare vipro nāmnā'saṃ dharmajālikaḥ | vedavedāṃgatattvatraḥ smṛtiśāstrārthavidvaraḥ

Translation

In the city of Vaidīśa, I was a brāhmaṇa named Dharmajālika—one who knew the truths of the Vedas and their auxiliaries, and an excellent knower of the meanings of Smṛti and Śāstra.

Word by Word

• वैदिशे: in Vaidiśa (of Vidिशा)
• वैदिशे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषण (नगर)

• नगरे: in the city
• नगरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by name’ (instrumental of specification)

• असम्: I was
• असम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘I was’

• धर्मजालिकः: Dharmajālika (name/title)
• धर्मजालिकः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + जालिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य जालिकः/धर्मजालिकः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; नामरूपेण

• वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वत्रः: knower of the truths of Veda and Vedāṅgas
• वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वत्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + वेदाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + त्र (प्रातिपदिक/प्रत्ययान्त ‘ज्ञ’)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘वेद-वेदाङ्ग-तत्त्व-त्रः’ = वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वेषु त्रः/ज्ञः (knower)

• स्मृतिशास्त्रार्थविद्वरः: excellent knower of the meanings of Smṛti-śāstras
• स्मृतिशास्त्रार्थविद्वरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु, कृदन्त ‘विद्/विद्वस्’) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘स्मृति-शास्त्र-अर्थ-विद्-वरः’ = best knower of meanings of smṛti-texts

Speaker

Bāla (continuing past-life narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaidīśa (Vidiśā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa in the city of Vaidīśa, surrounded by manuscripts and students; urban sacred learning environment, hinting at future moral dissonance.

Characters & Entities

• Vaidīśa
• Dharmajālika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames karmic history through past lives, showing that learning and dharma form part of one’s unfolding spiritual account.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is glorified; a geographic setting is given: the city of Vaidīśa, as part of the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes scriptural learning (Veda, Vedāṅga, Smṛti, Śāstra) rather than a specific rite.