Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तथा शूद्रेण संजज्ञे ब्राह्मण्यां सुरसत्तम । भिल्लाख्यश्चापि भिल्लेन चंडालश्च प्रजायते

Transliteration

tathā śūdreṇa saṃjajñe brāhmaṇyāṃ surasattama | bhillākhyaścāpi bhillena caṃḍālaśca prajāyate

Translation

De même, ô meilleur des dieux, lorsqu’une femme brāhmaṇa conçoit d’un śūdra, naît un enfant appelé « Bhilla » ; et d’un Bhilla naît un Caṇḍāla.

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise / thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (thus/likewise)

• शूद्रेण: by/with a Śūdra
• शूद्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• संजज्ञे: was born / came to be
• संजज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्ष/परिपूर्ण भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; Perfect, 3rd singular (was born/was produced)

• ब्राह्मण्याम्: in a Brahmin woman
• ब्राह्मण्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular (in/from a Brahmin woman)

• सुरसत्तम: O best among the gods
• सुरसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• भिल्लाख्यः: one called ‘Bhilla’
• भिल्लाख्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिल्ल + आख्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; आ+ख्या धातु, क्त/निष्ठा अर्थे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘named Bhilla’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (also/even)

• भिल्लेन: by/with a Bhilla
• भिल्लेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• चण्डालः: a Caṇḍāla
• चण्डालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रजायते: is born
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; Present indicative, 3rd singular (is born)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya dialogic style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a deva addressed as 'surasattama' (not explicitly named here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn instruction scene: the narrator gestures in enumeration (two outcomes), while the deva listener appears grave; symbolic motifs (womb/field) may be shown as a stylized lotus-field behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Surasattama (address to a deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents a Purāṇic depiction of social mixing and its named outcomes, as part of a broader moral narrative about dharma’s decline across ages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within the Tīrthamāhātmya stream of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but this specific line focuses on yuga/social description rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive, not a direct instruction on snāna, dāna, or japa.