Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

यस्य नो जायते शुद्धिः शाखाभिर्मूलवंशगा । निग्रहस्तस्य कर्तव्यो द्विजार्हो द्विजसत्तमैः

Transliteration

yasya no jāyate śuddhiḥ śākhābhirmūlavaṃśagā | nigrahastasya kartavyo dvijārho dvijasattamaiḥ

Translation

Si la pureté d’un homme n’est pas établie par les lignées de branche qui remontent à la souche du clan, alors les plus éminents des deux-fois-nés doivent lui imposer la juste restriction disciplinaire, comme il convient en matière d’aptitude brāhmanique.

Word by Word

• यस्य: whose/of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive: whose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• नः: our/of us
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th) ‘नः’ (our/of us)

• जायते: arises/is produced
• जायते: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शाखाभिः: by branches/lineages
• शाखाभिः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• मूलवंशगा: belonging to the root lineage
• मूलवंशगा: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘मूलस्य वंशः’/‘मूलवंश’ + ग = ‘गच्छति/गता’ अर्थे: belonging to the root lineage); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘शुद्धिः’ इति विशेषण

• निग्रहः: restraint/punishment
• निग्रहः: Karta (Subject, passive necessity)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कर्तव्यः: should be done
• कर्तव्यः: Karya/vidheya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्य (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (तव्यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done/should be done)

• द्विजार्हः: proper/fit for Brahmins (to administer)
• द्विजार्हः: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘द्विजैः अर्हः’ = worthy of Brahmins), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘निग्रहः’ इति विशेषण

• द्विजसत्तमैः: by the best Brahmins
• द्विजसत्तमैः: Karta (Agent, in passive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारयभाव: ‘सत्तमाः द्विजाः’ = best of Brahmins), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/कर्ता), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध (by the best Brahmins)

Speaker

Narrative voice (speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of senior brāhmaṇas examines genealogical records or listens to testimony about a person’s lineage-branches; they impose a temporary restriction (nigraha) with calm authority, emphasizing dharma-protection rather than punishment.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (brāhmaṇas)
• Lineage branches (śākhā)
• Root lineage (mūla-vaṃśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual authority depends on verified purity and lineage; when verification fails, dharmic regulation by qualified brāhmaṇas is required.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya setting within Nāgara-khaṇḍa, though the verse focuses on social-ritual order rather than a site’s merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Verification of śuddhi via lineage documentation/recognition, and if absent, the application of nigraha (disciplinary restriction) by eminent brāhmaṇas.