Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

निघ्नंतो वा शपंतो वा वदंतो वापि निष्ठुरम् । पूजनीयाः सदा विप्रा दिव्यांल्लोकानभीप्सुभिः

Transliteration

nighnaṃto vā śapaṃto vā vadaṃto vāpi niṣṭhuram | pūjanīyāḥ sadā viprā divyāṃllokānabhīpsubhiḥ

Translation

Whether they strike, or curse, or even speak harshly, brāhmaṇas should always be honored by those who seek the divine worlds.

Word by Word

• निघ्नन्तः: killing (even if they are)
• निघ्नन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+हन् (धातु) → निघ्नत् (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; ‘killing’ (as doers)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• शपन्तः: cursing (even if they are)
• शपन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु) → शपत् (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘cursing’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• वदन्तः: speaking (even if they are)
• वदन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु) → वदत् (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘speaking’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: ‘even/also’)

• निष्ठुरम्: harshly
• निष्ठुरम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निष्ठुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative neuter singular) = ‘harshly’

• पूजनीयाः: worthy of worship
• पूजनीयाः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूजनीय (तव्यत्/अनीयर्)
• Form: कृत्यप्रत्ययान्त (अनीयर्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/विधेय), बहुवचन; predicate ‘worthy of worship’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• दिव्यान्: divine
• दिव्यान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; qualifies ‘लोकान्’

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अभीप्सुभिः: by those who desire
• अभीप्सुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि+आप्/ईप्स् (धातु) → अभीप्सु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (उ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘by those desiring’

Speaker

Duḥśīla

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: brāhmaṇas remain composed even when striking/cursing; the aspirant bows, choosing reverence over retaliation, with a luminous path to divine realms implied.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas (vipras)
• divine worlds (divyāḥ lokāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse teaches reverence toward brāhmaṇas as a dharmic ideal, linking humility and respect to higher spiritual destinations (divine worlds).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified in this line; it provides a general dharma teaching within the tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the ‘prescription’ is ethical—pūjā/honor toward vipras.