Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान्नृपशार्दूल मन्दविद्याधरानपि । एवं विज्ञाय तान्विप्रान्गृहीत्वा चरणौ ततः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānnṛpaśārdūla mandavidyādharānapi | evaṃ vijñāya tānviprāngṛhītvā caraṇau tataḥ

Translation

Ô tigre parmi les rois, même parmi les brāhmanes il en est de faible savoir. Ainsi, après avoir examiné ces prêtres, les ayant reçus, qu’on saisisse ensuite leurs pieds en signe de révérence.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• नृपशार्दूल: O tiger among kings
• नृपशार्दूल: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः ‘tiger among kings’

• मन्दविद्याधरान्: of weak learning
• मन्दविद्याधरान्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द + विद्याधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः ‘dull/poorly learned’ qualifying viprān/brāhmaṇān

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः; ‘also/even’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb) ‘thus/in this way’

• विज्ञाय: having ascertained
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि+ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञाय (क्त्वान्त अव्यय/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तः (absolutive/gerund) ‘having ascertained/known’

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘those’

• विप्रान्: learned men/Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• गृहीत्वा: having taken/held
• गृहीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → गृहीत्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तः (absolutive) ‘having taken/held’

• चरणौ: (their) feet
• चरणौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, द्विवचनम्; ‘two feet’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Krama (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः; ‘then/thereafter’

Speaker

Unspecified (addressing a king; hence ‘nṛpaśārdūla’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as nṛpaśārdūla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in travel attire at a tīrtha pavilion examines a small group of brāhmaṇas; he then bows and touches the feet of the chosen learned priest, while attendants hold ritual trays.

Characters & Entities

• King (listener)
• Brāhmaṇa/Vipra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma combines discernment with humility: examine qualifications carefully, then honour the worthy with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is procedural instruction within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After evaluating the priests’ learning and fitness, one should respectfully greet them—symbolized by touching/holding the feet.