Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

शौर्यभावपरित्यक्ताः परदारविमर्दकाः । पूजयन्ति न ते विप्रान्न देवान्न गुरूनपि

Transliteration

śauryabhāvaparityaktāḥ paradāravimardakāḥ | pūjayanti na te viprānna devānna gurūnapi

Translation

ശൗര്യഭാവം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് പരസ്ത്രീകളെ ലംഘിക്കുന്നവർ ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ പൂജിക്കുകയില്ല; ദേവന്മാരെയും ഗുരുക്കന്മാരെയും പോലും അല്ല।

Word by Word

• śaurya-bhāva-parityaktāḥ: having abandoned the attitude of valor
• śaurya-bhāva-parityaktāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaurya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + parityakta (कृदन्त; √tyaj त्यज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘ते’ इत्यस्य

• para-dāra-vimardakāḥ: violators of others’ wives
• para-dāra-vimardakāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + dāra (प्रातिपदिक) + vimardaka (प्रातिपदिक; √mṛd मृद् with vi-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘ते’ इत्यस्य

• pūjayanti: they worship/honor
• pūjayanti: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• te: they
• te: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• viprān: Brahmins
• viprān: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• na: nor/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• devān: gods
• devān: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• na: nor/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• gurūn: teachers/elders
• gurūn: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• api: even/also
• api: Samuccaya (Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A darkened village assembly where men ignore a seated guru and Brāhmaṇas, turn away from a small shrine, and pursue another’s wife—symbolizing social and sacred neglect.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vipra (Brahmins)
• Devas
• Gurus

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma stands on self-restraint and reverence; when lust and disrespect rise, spiritual and social order collapses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; it is part of a Kali-yuga description within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, honoring gurus, devas, and vipras is upheld as a dharmic duty, though no specific rite is detailed.