Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

पांचालदेशसंभूतो नाम्ना नरहरिर्द्विजः । असत्संगप्रभावेन पापात्मा समजायत

Transliteration

pāṃcāladeśasaṃbhūto nāmnā naraharirdvijaḥ | asatsaṃgaprabhāvena pāpātmā samajāyata

Translation

Un deux-fois-né (brāhmane) nommé Narahari, né au pays de Pāñcāla, sous l’influence de la mauvaise compagnie devint pécheur d’âme.

Word by Word

• पांचालदेशसंभूतः: born in the Pañcāla region
• पांचालदेशसंभूतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाञ्चालदेश (प्रातिपदिक) + संभूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पाञ्चालदेशे संभूतः’ = born in Pañcāla country)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘नाम्ना’ = by name

• नरहरिः: Narahari
• नरहरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘नराणां हरिः’/‘नर-हरिः’ = Narahari as a proper name)

• द्विजः: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असत्संगप्रभावेन: due to the influence of bad company
• असत्संगप्रभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत्संग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘असत्संगस्य प्रभावः’ = influence of bad company)

• पापात्मा: sinful-minded person
• पापात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘पापः आत्मा यस्य’/‘पाप आत्मा’ = sinful-souled)

• समजायत: became, came to be
• समजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्गः ‘सम्’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa Ayodhyāmāhātmya dialogic style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra/brāhmaṇa interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija named Narahari in Panchala is shown drawn into the circle of gamblers/drunkards or violent men; his posture shifts from upright to troubled, foreshadowing later redemption.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṃcāla
• Narahari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bad company (asat-saṅga) powerfully degrades character and dharma, even for the dvija.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is moving toward Ayodhyā’s tīrtha-glory, though this verse sets up the protagonist’s moral decline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it establishes the cause (asat-saṅga) of sin that the tīrtha later removes.