Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। ब्रह्मोवाच । शूद्रः पैजवनोनाम गार्हस्थ्याच्छुद्धिमाप्तवान् । धर्ममार्गाविरोधेन तन्निबोध महामते

Transliteration

| brahmovāca | śūdraḥ paijavanonāma gārhasthyācchuddhimāptavān | dharmamārgāvirodhena tannibodha mahāmate

Translation

Brahmā dit : Un Śūdra nommé Paijavana obtint la pureté par la vie de maître de maison, sans s’opposer à la voie du dharma. Sache-le, ô esprit magnanime.

Word by Word

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; वक्ता-निर्देश (speaker tag)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śūdraḥ: a Śūdra
• śūdraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• paijavanaḥ: Paijavana
• paijavanaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paijavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष्य-नाम (proper name)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निर्देशक (particle meaning ‘by name’)

• gārhasthyāt: from householder life
• gārhasthyāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gārhasthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (source)

• śuddhim: purity
• śuddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• āptavān: obtained
• āptavān: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु) + tavat (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त (क्तवत्/तवत्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि/परिणाम (past active participle)

• dharma: dharma
• dharma: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (in compound)

• mārga: path
• mārga: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे मध्यपद (in compound)

• avirodhena: without opposition to the path of dharma
• avirodhena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avirodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (means)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (refers to the matter/story)

• nibodha: understand; learn
• nibodha: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग नि-

• mahāmate: O great-minded one
• mahāmate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-mati (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā speaks to Nārada, introducing Paijavana the Śūdra, portrayed as a dignified householder whose dhārmika life leads to purification; the scene suggests a moral exemplar rather than ascetic heroism.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Paijavana
• śūdra
• gṛhastha-dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and spiritual advancement are attainable through sincere householder dharma aligned with the broader dharma-mārga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The story is told within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya narrative frame of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is steadfast gṛhastha-dharma practiced in harmony with dharma, rather than a single isolated ritual.