Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

स सर्वरजकानां च प्राधान्येन व्यवस्थितः । प्रधानब्राह्मणानां च करोत्यंबरशोधनम्

Transliteration

sa sarvarajakānāṃ ca prādhānyena vyavasthitaḥ | pradhānabrāhmaṇānāṃ ca karotyaṃbaraśodhanam

Translation

Il était établi comme le chef de tous les blanchisseurs, et il accomplissait aussi la purification des vêtements des principaux brahmanes.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वरजकानाम्: of all washermen
• सर्वरजकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive-relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + रजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः: 'सर्वे रजकाः'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• प्राधान्येन: by (his) preeminence
• प्राधान्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राधान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (abstract noun)

• व्यवस्थितः: was established/placed
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'स्थित' = established

• प्रधानब्राह्मणानाम्: of the chief Brahmins
• प्रधानब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive-relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान + ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः: 'प्रधानाः ब्राह्मणाः'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: कृ (to do/make)

• अम्बरशोधनम्: the cleansing of garments
• अम्बरशोधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर + शोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'अम्बरस्य शोधनम्'

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ (assembled brāhmaṇas/sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śuddhaka, chief washerman, receives garments from eminent brāhmaṇas and cleans them at the waterside; a respectful exchange underscores social bonds.

Characters & Entities

• Śuddhaka
• brāhmaṇas (foremost Brahmins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through rightful duty (svadharma); even service professions participate in sacred order when performed responsibly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha is not named in this verse; it supports the ongoing tīrtha-māhātmya narrative by establishing the protagonist’s standing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; “aṃbaraśodhana” (cleansing garments) appears as a duty connected to purity norms.