Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

निघ्नन्तो वा शपन्तो वा द्विषन्तो वा द्विजातयः । नमस्कार्या महीपाल तथापि स्वहितेच्छुना । गुरुरेष पुनर्मान्यस्तव पार्थिवसत्तम

Transliteration

nighnanto vā śapanto vā dviṣanto vā dvijātayaḥ | namaskāryā mahīpāla tathāpi svahitecchunā | gurureṣa punarmānyastava pārthivasattama

Translation

Sekalipun para dwija memukul, mengutuk, atau bahkan membenci, tetaplah mereka patut diberi namaskāra, wahai raja—terutama oleh dia yang menghendaki kesejahteraan dirinya. Guru ini harus kembali engkau muliakan, wahai penguasa terbaik.

Word by Word

• निघ्नन्तः: (those) striking/killing
• निघ्नन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• शपन्तः: cursing
• शपन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• द्विषन्तः: hating
• द्विषन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्विष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• नमस्कार्याः: worthy of salutation
• नमस्कार्याः: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नमस्कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √नम् + कार्य)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• महीपाल: O king
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—मही + पाल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: “earth’s protector”)

• तथापि: even so; nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (concessive adverb: “even so/however”)

• स्वहितेच्छुना: by one who seeks his own good
• स्वहितेच्छुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वहितेच्छु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—स्व + हित + इच्छु (तत्पुरुष: “desiring one’s own welfare”)

• गुरुः: the teacher
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुनः: again; moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: “again/furthermore”)

• मान्यः: to be honored
• मान्यः: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• तव: of you; your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पार्थिवसत्तम: O best of kings
• पार्थिवसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिवसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—पार्थिव + सत्तम (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: “best of kings”)

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king stands with folded hands before a stern twice-born teacher; attendants and courtiers watch as the king chooses namaskāra over retaliation, the atmosphere charged with moral tension.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Dvijāti (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for guru and brāhmaṇas is a protective dharma for rulers; humility safeguards one’s welfare and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is indicated; the verse teaches dharma within the sacred narrative of a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) to dvijas/guru is prescribed as a dharmic act.