Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान्नृपशार्दूल मन्दविद्याधरानपि । एवं विज्ञाय तान्विप्रान्गृहीत्वा चरणौ ततः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānnṛpaśārdūla mandavidyādharānapi | evaṃ vijñāya tānviprāngṛhītvā caraṇau tataḥ

Translation

ഹേ നൃപശാർദൂലാ! ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരിലും ചിലർ അല്പവിദ്യാധരരായിരിക്കും; ഇങ്ങനെ പരിശോധിച്ച് അറിഞ്ഞ ശേഷം, ആ വിപ്രന്മാരുടെ പാദങ്ങൾ പിടിച്ച് നമസ്കരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• नृपशार्दूल: O tiger among kings
• नृपशार्दूल: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः ‘tiger among kings’

• मन्दविद्याधरान्: of weak learning
• मन्दविद्याधरान्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द + विद्याधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः ‘dull/poorly learned’ qualifying viprān/brāhmaṇān

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः; ‘also/even’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb) ‘thus/in this way’

• विज्ञाय: having ascertained
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि+ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञाय (क्त्वान्त अव्यय/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तः (absolutive/gerund) ‘having ascertained/known’

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘those’

• विप्रान्: learned men/Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• गृहीत्वा: having taken/held
• गृहीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → गृहीत्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तः (absolutive) ‘having taken/held’

• चरणौ: (their) feet
• चरणौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, द्विवचनम्; ‘two feet’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Krama (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः; ‘then/thereafter’

Speaker

Unspecified (addressing a king; hence ‘nṛpaśārdūla’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as nṛpaśārdūla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in travel attire at a tīrtha pavilion examines a small group of brāhmaṇas; he then bows and touches the feet of the chosen learned priest, while attendants hold ritual trays.

Characters & Entities

• King (listener)
• Brāhmaṇa/Vipra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma combines discernment with humility: examine qualifications carefully, then honour the worthy with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is procedural instruction within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After evaluating the priests’ learning and fitness, one should respectfully greet them—symbolized by touching/holding the feet.