Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

नास्तिका भिन्नमर्यादा ये च विप्रस्य घातकाः । ते सर्वेऽत्र नरा नित्यमारुहंति पतंति च

Transliteration

nāstikā bhinnamaryādā ye ca viprasya ghātakāḥ | te sarve'tra narā nityamāruhaṃti pataṃti ca

Translation

ನಾಸ್ತಿಕರು, ಧರ್ಮಮರ್ಯಾದೆ ಮೀರುವವರು, ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನಿಗೆ ಹಾನಿ ಮಾಡುವವರು—ಅಂತಹ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಿತ್ಯ ಏರಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ಬೀಳುತ್ತಾ ಪುನಃಪುನಃ ಪತನವನ್ನು ಅನುಭವಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ।

Word by Word

• नास्तिकाः: atheists/deniers
• नास्तिकाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• भिन्न-मर्यादाः: of broken conduct/limits
• भिन्न-मर्यादाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (कृदन्त, क्त; भिद्) + मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘broken (in) boundaries/discipline’

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• विप्रस्य: of a Brahmin
• विप्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• घातकाः: killers, slayers
• घातकाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घातक (प्रातिपदिक; हन्/घात-सम्बन्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘all’ (ते इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अपपद-सम्बन्धेन ‘ते सर्वे’ इत्यस्य अपोजिशन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala (Time adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverbial accusative) ‘always’

• आरुहन्ति: they climb/ascend
• आरुहन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• पतन्ति: they fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Narratorial voice (Sūta implied by Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a sacred precinct where impious figures attempt to ascend (symbolic ladders/steps) only to fall, while righteous pilgrims proceed steadily; a brāhmaṇa stands as dharma-witness.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespecting dharma—especially violence toward a Brāhmaṇa—causes repeated downfall; sacred places intensify moral consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it warns about ethical transgressions and their karmic results.