Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

पांचालदेशसंभूतो नाम्ना नरहरिर्द्विजः । असत्संगप्रभावेन पापात्मा समजायत

Transliteration

pāṃcāladeśasaṃbhūto nāmnā naraharirdvijaḥ | asatsaṃgaprabhāvena pāpātmā samajāyata

Translation

Un dos veces nacido (brāhmaṇa) llamado Narahari, nacido en la tierra de Pāñcāla, por la influencia de la mala compañía se volvió de alma pecadora.

Word by Word

• पांचालदेशसंभूतः: born in the Pañcāla region
• पांचालदेशसंभूतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाञ्चालदेश (प्रातिपदिक) + संभूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पाञ्चालदेशे संभूतः’ = born in Pañcāla country)

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

• नरहरिः: Narahari
• नरहरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘नराणां हरिः’/‘नर-हरिः’ = Narahari as a proper name)

• द्विजः: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असत्संगप्रभावेन: due to the influence of bad company
• असत्संगप्रभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत्संग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘असत्संगस्य प्रभावः’ = influence of bad company)

• पापात्मा: sinful-minded person
• पापात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘पापः आत्मा यस्य’/‘पाप आत्मा’ = sinful-souled)

• समजायत: became, came to be
• समजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्गः ‘सम्’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa Ayodhyāmāhātmya dialogic style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra/brāhmaṇa interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija named Narahari in Panchala is shown drawn into the circle of gamblers/drunkards or violent men; his posture shifts from upright to troubled, foreshadowing later redemption.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṃcāla
• Narahari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bad company (asat-saṅga) powerfully degrades character and dharma, even for the dvija.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is moving toward Ayodhyā’s tīrtha-glory, though this verse sets up the protagonist’s moral decline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it establishes the cause (asat-saṅga) of sin that the tīrtha later removes.