Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । सर्वे वयं महाराज भूपस्याप्यधिका यतः । अहंकारेण दर्पेण निजं स्थानं समाश्रिताः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | sarve vayaṃ mahārāja bhūpasyāpyadhikā yataḥ | ahaṃkāreṇa darpeṇa nijaṃ sthānaṃ samāśritāḥ

Translation

バラモンたちは言った。「大王よ、我らは皆、統べる者よりも自らを上とみなし、我執と驕りによって己が位に執着しておりました。」

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• भूपस्य: of the king
• भूपस्य: Sambandha (Relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थः—‘also/even’

• अधिकाः: superior/greater
• अधिकाः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/हेतु-अव्यय (causal indeclinable), अर्थः—‘because/since’

• अहंकारेण: by ego
• अहंकारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• दर्पेण: by pride
• दर्पेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निजम्: one's own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्थानम्: position/place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समाश्रिताः: having resorted to/occupied
• समाश्रिताः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे विधेय (predicate)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas stand before a seated king, heads slightly bowed, hands joined, confessing their arrogance; the court atmosphere is solemn, with a sense of moral reckoning.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• King (Mahārāja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual authority without humility becomes ego; repentance and self-awareness restore dharmic order between social roles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative; it does not directly praise a tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is ethical—confession of pride and recognition of proper conduct.