Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अष्टादशमिता नीचाः प्रकृतानां यथातथा । विधिनैव क्रिया नैव स्मृति मार्गोऽपि नैव च

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśamitā nīcāḥ prakṛtānāṃ yathātathā | vidhinaiva kriyā naiva smṛti mārgo'pi naiva ca

Translation

Se dice que los de baja cuna son dieciocho en número, según se los halle en la sociedad. Para ellos no hay acción ritual conforme al rito prescrito, ni siquiera el sendero establecido por la Smṛti.

Word by Word

• aṣṭādaśamitāḥ: limited to eighteen (in number)
• aṣṭādaśamitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of nīcāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭādaśa (संख्या) + mita (कृदन्त; √mā-मा (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (अष्टादश-परिमिताः = limited to eighteen)

• nīcāḥ: base/low (persons)
• nīcāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• prakṛtānām: of the ordinary/natural (people)
• prakṛtānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of the natural/ordinary ones’

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकार-अव्यय (as/according to)

• tathā: so/accordingly
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (so/thus)

• vidhinā: by rule/according to injunction
• vidhinā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (only/indeed)

• kriyā: ritual act/observance
• kriyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (indeed)

• smṛtiḥ: smṛti tradition/law
• smṛtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• mārgaḥ: path/way
• mārgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (also/even)

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (indeed)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic assembly scene: a sage or narrator instructs pilgrims about dharma-eligibility and alternative duties; listeners include mixed social groups at a pilgrimage rest-house (maṭha/śālā) near a tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Smṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse reflects a traditional normative framework where ritual eligibility is linked to adherence to established dharma codes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It states an exclusion: no vidhic ritual action and no Smṛti-based path is acknowledged for the ‘nīca’ groups as defined here.