Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कुनखान्रोगसंयुक्तान्द्विर्नग्नान्परहिंसकान् । जनापवादसंयुक्तान्नास्तिकानृतकानपि

Transliteration

kunakhānrogasaṃyuktāndvirnagnānparahiṃsakān | janāpavādasaṃyuktānnāstikānṛtakānapi

Translation

നഖരോഗബാധിതർ, പതിവായി രണ്ടുതവണ നഗ്നരായി നടക്കുന്നവർ, പരഹിംസകർ, ജനാപവാദത്തിൽ കുടുങ്ങിയവർ, നാസ്തികർ, അസത്യജീവികൾ—ഇവരെ ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഒഴിവാക്കണം।

Word by Word

• कुनखान्: those with bad/deformed nails
• कुनखान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कु + नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘कुनखाः यस्य’ इति बहुव्रीहिः; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)

• रोगसंयुक्तान्: afflicted with disease
• रोगसंयुक्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोग + संयुक्त (कृदन्त; युज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘रोगेण संयुक्त’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)

• द्विर्नग्नान्: twice-naked (habitually exposing)
• द्विर्नग्नान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विस् (अव्यय/संख्या) + नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘द्विः’ इत्यव्ययपूर्वक-अव्ययीभावसमासः; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)

• परहिंसकान्: harmers of others
• परहिंसकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + हिंसक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘परस्य हिंसकः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)

• जनापवादसंयुक्तान्: associated with public scandal/slander
• जनापवादसंयुक्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन + अपवाद + संयुक्त (कृदन्त; युज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘जनापवादेन संयुक्त’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (nested); विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)

• नास्तिकान्: atheists/deniers
• नास्तिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masc. acc. pl.)

• ऋतकान्: false/untruthful persons
• ऋतकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.; ‘untruthful/false’ sense in context)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (also)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional style; exact interlocutor not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha assembly at a ghat: calm, dharmic invitees seated on kuśa mats; shadowy figures representing hiṃsā, slander, and nāstikatā remain outside the ritual boundary marked by darbha and water pots.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is meant to honor the Pitṛs through truthfulness, non-violence, and social-ethical purity; those opposed to these values should not be invited.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of a Tīrthamāhātmya context but this specific line focuses on śrāddha eligibility rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A niyama (restriction): exclude certain categories of persons from participation in śrāddha offerings.