Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

किं कुलीनैर्गुणाढ्यैर्वा तेजोविद्याविचक्षणैः । त्रिजातोऽपि वरं सोऽपि स्वं स्थानं येन चोद्धृतम्

Transliteration

kiṃ kulīnairguṇāḍhyairvā tejovidyāvicakṣaṇaiḥ | trijāto'pi varaṃ so'pi svaṃ sthānaṃ yena coddhṛtam

Translation

ຈະຕ້ອງການຫຍັງອີກຈາກຜູ້ມີຊາດຕະກູນສູງ, ຫຼືຜູ້ອຸດົມດ້ວຍຄຸນງາມ, ຫຼືຜູ້ຊ່ຽວຊານໃນຕະເຈະແລະວິຊາ? ແມ່ນແຕ່ ຕຣິຊາຕະ ກໍເປັນຜູ້ປະເສີດ, ເພາະໂດຍລາວ ຖິ່ນທີ່ຂອງຕົນໄດ້ຖືກຍົກຊູ ແລະຟື້ນຟູຄືນ.

Word by Word

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (interrogative particle: ‘what use...?’)

• kulīnaiḥ: by the well-born (people)
• kulīnaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kulīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• guṇāḍhyaiḥ: rich in virtues
• guṇāḍhyaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇa + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुणैः आढ्यः) kulīnaiḥ-विशेषणम्

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• tejo-vidyā-vicakṣaṇaiḥ: skilled in brilliance and learning
• tejo-vidyā-vicakṣaṇaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tejas + vidyā + vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक-त्रय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (तेजः च विद्या च) + तत्पुरुष-आश्रित विशेषण (तयोः विचक्षणः) kulīnaiḥ-समुच्चित-विशेषणम्

• trijātaḥ: the twice/thrice-born man
• trijātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + jāta (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः; (here used substantively)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (concessive/also)

• varam: better (rather)
• varam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘वरम्’ (better/rather) क्रियाविशेषण

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also)

• svam: his own
• svam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; स्व-शब्द; sthānam-विशेषणम्

• sthānam: place, position
• sthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• yena: by whom/whereby
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-येन (relative pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• uddhṛtam: was lifted up, was restored
• uddhṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud + √hṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘उद्धृतम्’ (raised/rescued)

Speaker

Inquirer (unnamed in snippet; continuing the question to the narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Trijāta, modest yet radiant, leads restoration—clearing a sacred path, repairing a shrine or tank embankment—while learned elites look on, humbled by his merit.

Characters & Entities

• Trijāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True excellence is measured by dharmic action—especially service that restores and protects a sacred place—rather than by mere birth or reputation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse continues within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it praises the act of uplifting/restoring the sacred locale.