Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कथं प्राप्तानि वस्त्राणि भूषणानि वराणि च । नूनमस्मद्गतेर्भ्रंशः खे जातो नाऽन्यथा भवेत्

Transliteration

kathaṃ prāptāni vastrāṇi bhūṣaṇāni varāṇi ca | nūnamasmadgaterbhraṃśaḥ khe jāto nā'nyathā bhavet

Translation

ನಿಮಗೆ ಈ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ವಸ್ತ್ರಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಉತ್ತಮ ಭೂಷಣಗಳು ಹೇಗೆ ದೊರಕಿದವು? ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಗತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭ್ರಂಶ ಉಂಟಾಗಿದೆ; ನಮ್ಮ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಏನೋ ದೋಷ ಜನಿಸಿದೆ—ಇದು ಬೇರೆ ರೀತಿಯಾಗಿ ಆಗಲಾರದು।

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• प्राप्तानि: obtained, received
• प्राप्तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; (past passive participle: 'obtained/received')

• वस्त्राणि: garments
• वस्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter nom./acc. pl.)

• भूषणानि: ornaments
• भूषणानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वराणि: excellent, choice
• वराणि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'वस्त्राणि/भूषणानि')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नूनम्: surely, indeed
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of certainty)

• अस्मत्-गतेः: of our course/going
• अस्मत्-गतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'अस्माकं गतिः' इति; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (गति), षष्ठी, एकवचन

• भ्रंशः: a fall, deviation
• भ्रंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• खे: in the sky
• खे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative)

• जातः: has arisen, occurred
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (past participle: 'arisen/occurred')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• भवेत्: would be, could be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa/ascetic men (dvijottamāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A startled ascetic household beholds fine garments and ornaments; the speaker questions the sudden opulence, sensing a moral derailment and impending curse.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas/ascetics
• garments (vastra)
• ornaments (bhūṣaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity requires vigilance; unexplained luxury prompts self-examination and concern for dharmic purity.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this line; it remains within the larger tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the discussion anticipates rules about acceptable gifts and conduct.