Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

न ब्राह्मणसमः कश्चित्त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे । दत्तोपवीते ब्रह्मण्ये सुप्ते देवे जनार्दने

Transliteration

na brāhmaṇasamaḥ kaścittrailokye sacarācare | dattopavīte brahmaṇye supte deve janārdane

Translation

ചരാചരങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ ത്രിലോകങ്ങളിൽ ബ്രാഹ്മണനോടു തുല്യൻ ആരുമില്ല—വിശേഷിച്ച് ഉപവീതം നൽകപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, അദ്ദേഹം ബ്രഹ്മനിഷ്ഠനായിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ദേവ ജനാർദനൻ (വിഷ്ണു) യോഗനിദ്രയിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുമ്പോൾ.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• ब्राह्मणसमः: equal to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणसमः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (ब्राह्मणेन समः)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• त्रैलोक्ये: in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सचराचरे: with the moving and the unmoving
• सचराचरे: Visheshana (Qualifier of त्रैलोक्ये/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (चर + अचर), उपपद-पूर्वक (स- = सहित)

• दत्तोपवीते: (when) the sacred thread is bestowed/worn
• दत्तोपवीते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; दा धातु, क्त) + उपवीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दत्तं उपवीतं यस्य/यत्र)

• ब्रह्मण्ये: in/for the Brahminical (rite/state)
• ब्रह्मण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सुप्ते: when (he) is asleep
• सुप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त; स्वप् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• देवे: in the god
• देवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जनार्दने: in Janārdana (Vishnu)
• जनार्दने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विष्णोः नाम

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Nāgara Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand cosmic tableau: Viṣṇu (Janārdana) reclines in yoganidrā on Śeṣa over the ocean; in the foreground, a serene brāhmaṇa with shining upavīta and Vedic manuscript stands as dharma’s pillar; the three worlds appear as miniature spheres around them, emphasizing ‘none equal’.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Upavīta
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It extols consecrated Vedic life (marked by upavīta and Brahman-devotion) as a unique dharmic pillar in the cosmos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the chapter’s broader māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Receiving the upavīta (linked with upanayana saṃskāra) is implied as a key consecration.