Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

निघ्नन्तो वा शपन्तो वा द्विषन्तो वा द्विजातयः । नमस्कार्या महीपाल तथापि स्वहितेच्छुना । गुरुरेष पुनर्मान्यस्तव पार्थिवसत्तम

Transliteration

nighnanto vā śapanto vā dviṣanto vā dvijātayaḥ | namaskāryā mahīpāla tathāpi svahitecchunā | gurureṣa punarmānyastava pārthivasattama

Translation

Dijo Nārada: «Aunque los dos veces nacidos golpeen, maldigan o incluso odien, aun así deben ser saludados con reverencia, oh rey—sobre todo por quien desea su propio bien. A este maestro has de honrarlo de nuevo, oh el mejor de los soberanos».

Word by Word

• निघ्नन्तः: (those) striking/killing
• निघ्नन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• शपन्तः: cursing
• शपन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• द्विषन्तः: hating
• द्विषन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्विष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• नमस्कार्याः: worthy of salutation
• नमस्कार्याः: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नमस्कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √नम् + कार्य)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• महीपाल: O king
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—मही + पाल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: “earth’s protector”)

• तथापि: even so; nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (concessive adverb: “even so/however”)

• स्वहितेच्छुना: by one who seeks his own good
• स्वहितेच्छुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वहितेच्छु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—स्व + हित + इच्छु (तत्पुरुष: “desiring one’s own welfare”)

• गुरुः: the teacher
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुनः: again; moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: “again/furthermore”)

• मान्यः: to be honored
• मान्यः: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• तव: of you; your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पार्थिवसत्तम: O best of kings
• पार्थिवसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिवसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—पार्थिव + सत्तम (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: “best of kings”)

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king stands with folded hands before a stern twice-born teacher; attendants and courtiers watch as the king chooses namaskāra over retaliation, the atmosphere charged with moral tension.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Dvijāti (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for guru and brāhmaṇas is a protective dharma for rulers; humility safeguards one’s welfare and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is indicated; the verse teaches dharma within the sacred narrative of a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) to dvijas/guru is prescribed as a dharmic act.