Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अथ तन्मध्यगो विप्र आसीद्वृद्धतमः सुधीः । सुशील इति विख्यातो वेदवेदांगपारगः

Transliteration

atha tanmadhyago vipra āsīdvṛddhatamaḥ sudhīḥ | suśīla iti vikhyāto vedavedāṃgapāragaḥ

Translation

ແລ້ວໃນທ່າມກາງພວກເຂົາ ມີພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ເຖົ້າຊະລາ ແລະມີປັນຍາ ຊື່ວ່າ ສຸສີລະ ຜູ້ໂດງດັງວ່າຊໍານານໃນເວດ ແລະ ເວດາງຄະ.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/आरम्भार्थक (indeclinable particle: then/now)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी? (न); प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (neuter nominative/accusative singular) — समासपूर्वपद (as prior member of compound)

• मध्यगः: situated in the middle of that
• मध्यगः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + ग (गम् धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (तत्+मध्य+ग); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त/निष्पन्न विशेषण (one who has gone/being in the middle)

• विप्रः: a brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nominative singular)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (was)

• वृद्धतमः: the oldest
• वृद्धतमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त अतिशय (superlative: very oldest)

• सुधीः: very wise
• सुधीः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (सु+धी); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (wise/intelligent)

• सुशीलः: Suśīla (good-natured one)
• सुशीलः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (सु+शील); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; नामरूपेण (as a proper name)

• इति: thus/“named”
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• विख्यातः: renowned
• विख्यातः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (renowned)

• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: versed in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + वेदाङ्ग + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (वेद-वेदाङ्गयोः पारगः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (one who has mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable, white-bearded brāhmaṇa named Suśīla stands among a gathering, holding palm-leaf manuscripts; his calm presence contrasts with the crowd’s agitation hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Suśīla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often place a learned, virtuous elder as the agent of reconciliation, showing that true scholarship supports dharma and harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named here; the verse introduces a key figure within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a character introduction emphasizing Vedic qualification.