Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

नाम्ना ब्राह्मणशार्दूलो नागरो वेदपारगः । वृतः शिष्य सहस्रेण वेदविद्यां प्रचारयन्

Transliteration

nāmnā brāhmaṇaśārdūlo nāgaro vedapāragaḥ | vṛtaḥ śiṣya sahasreṇa vedavidyāṃ pracārayan

Translation

Là se trouvait un brāhmane Nāgara nommé Brāhmaṇaśārdūla, maître accompli des Veda ; entouré de mille disciples, il répandait la connaissance védique.

Word by Word

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-अर्थे ‘by name’

• ब्राह्मणशार्दूलः: a tiger among Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणशार्दूलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्राह्मणानां शार्दूलः = tiger among Brahmins)

• नागरः: a Nāgara (man of Nāgara lineage)
• नागरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वेदपारगः: versed in the Vedas
• वेदपारगः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + पारग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य पारगः = one who has gone to the end of the Veda)

• वृतः: surrounded/attended
• वृतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (वरणे) (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘chosen/surrounded’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शिष्य: by disciples
• शिष्य: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-भावे तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; छन्दसि/पाठभेदे ‘शिष्यैः’ अपेक्षितम्, अर्थतः ‘by disciples’

• सहस्रेण: by a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; संख्या-शब्द

• वेदविद्याम्: Vedic knowledge
• वेदविद्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + विद्या (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य विद्या)

• प्रचारयन्: propagating/teaching
• प्रचारयन्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-चर् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa; exact named speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable Nāgara Brahmin teacher, Brāhmaṇaśārdūla, seated on a vyāsapīṭha, surrounded by many disciples reciting; palm-leaf manuscripts and a calm scholastic atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇaśārdūla
• Nāgara (designation)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It celebrates the preservation and transmission of Vedic dharma through accomplished teachers and disciplined discipleship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Camatkārapura setting indirectly by describing the eminent Vedic teacher associated with the place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the emphasis is on adhyayana (study) and pravacana (teaching) as dharmic acts.