Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तथा च क्षत्रियविशां करणान्मुक्तिरुत्तमा । शूद्राणां नाधिकारोऽस्मिन्स्त्रीणां नैव कदाचन

Transliteration

tathā ca kṣatriyaviśāṃ karaṇānmuktiruttamā | śūdrāṇāṃ nādhikāro'sminstrīṇāṃ naiva kadācana

Translation

അതുപോലെ ക്ഷത്രിയർക്കും വൈശ്യർക്കും ഇത് ആചരിച്ചാൽ ഉത്തമമായ മോക്ഷം ലഭിക്കുന്നു. എന്നാൽ ഈ കാര്യത്തിൽ ശൂദ്രർക്കു അധികാരമില്ല; സ്ത്രീകൾക്കും ഒരിക്കലുമില്ല.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction “and/also”)

• क्षत्रियविशाम्: of kṣatriyas and vaiśyas
• क्षत्रियविशाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + विश्/वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (kṣatriyas and vaiśyas)

• करणात्: from (their) act/doing; by means of practice
• करणात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणार्थे (ablative of cause)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• उत्तमा: supreme
• उत्तमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying “muktiḥ”)

• शूद्राणाम्: of śūdras
• शूद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अधिकारः: eligibility/authority
• अधिकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this (matter)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle “indeed/just”)

• कदाचन: ever; at any time
• कदाचन: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb “ever/at any time”)

Speaker

Narrative voice continuing Īśvara’s discourse (speaker implicit from preceding verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal teaching assembly where eligibility rules for a specific ritual are recited; scribes/priestly figures, with others listening—tone of juridical śāstra.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣatriya
• Vaiśya
• Śūdra
• Women

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse presents a traditional ‘adhikāra’ framing: certain rites are described as restricted by social category within the text’s dharma discourse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on eligibility for a practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It refers back to the previously described worship practice and discusses who is considered eligible to perform it.