Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सच्छूद्रः स तु विज्ञेयो देवादीनां विभागकृत् । पुण्यकार्येषु सर्वेषु प्रथमं सा प्रकीर्तिता

Transliteration

sacchūdraḥ sa tu vijñeyo devādīnāṃ vibhāgakṛt | puṇyakāryeṣu sarveṣu prathamaṃ sā prakīrtitā

Translation

神々および他の者たちへの分け前を正しく配分する者は「真のシュードラ」と知るべきである。また一切の功徳の行いにおいて、彼女（家の主婦・家の秩序）が最も先なるものと宣言される。

Word by Word

• सत्-शूद्रः: the true Śūdra
• सत्-शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• सः: he
• सः: Anuvada (resumptive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोध-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• विज्ञेयः: should be known/recognized
• विज्ञेयः: Vidhi/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तव्यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be known’)

• देव-आदीनाम्: of the gods and others
• देव-आदीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देवाः आदयः येषाम्)

• विभाग-कृत्: one who performs the distribution (of offerings etc.)
• विभाग-कृत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभाग (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun) ‘कृत्’; तत्पुरुष-समास

• पुण्य-कार्येषु: in all meritorious rites/acts
• पुण्य-कार्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्रथमम्: first/primarily
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative) एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रकीर्तिता: is proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तिता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव

Speaker

Sūta (deduced for Nāgarakhaṇḍa māhātmya-style narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder distributing offerings: portions set aside for devas (altar), pitṛs (water libation), guests (food), and dependents; the wife stands as organizer, indicating her primacy in puṇya acts.

Characters & Entities

• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worth is shown by dutiful service and correct distribution in sacred obligations—ensuring gods, ancestors, and dependents are honored.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the māhātmya by grounding pilgrimage-merit in daily dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Proper apportioning of shares/offerings to devas and others as part of meritorious household observances.