Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अनुलोमविलोमाभ्य ांक्रमाच्च क्रमयोगतः । शूद्रादधोऽधो जाताश्च सर्वे पादतलोद्भवाः

Transliteration

anulomavilomābhya ाṃkramācca kramayogataḥ | śūdrādadho'dho jātāśca sarve pādatalodbhavāḥ

Translation

അനുലോമ–വിലോമ സംയോഗങ്ങളുടെ ക്രമപ്രക്രിയയാലും, ആ സംയോജനങ്ങളുടെ അനുക്രമയോഗത്താലും, ശൂദ്രനേക്കാൾ താഴെ താഴെയായി മറ്റുള്ളവർ ജനിച്ചു—അവർ എല്ലാവരും പാദതലത്തിൽ നിന്നു ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചവരെന്നു പറയപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• anuloma-vilomābhyām: by (means of) anuloma and viloma (orders)
• anuloma-vilomābhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anuloma + viloma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• kramāt: in due order; sequentially
• kramāt: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• krama-yogataḥ: by virtue of sequence; accordingly
• krama-yogataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama + yogataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थे/हेतौ: 'kramasya yogataḥ' (by virtue of order)

• śūdrāt: from the Shudra
• śūdrāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• adhaḥ: below; downward
• adhaḥ: Adhikarana (Direction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक (adverb: downward/below)

• adhaḥ: lower and lower
• adhaḥ: Adhikarana (Direction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• jātāḥ: were born
• jātāḥ: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (जन्) (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• pāda-tala-udbhavāḥ: arisen from the soles of the feet
• pāda-tala-udbhavāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāda + tala + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'pādasya talāt udbhavāḥ' (arisen from the sole of the foot)

Speaker

Brahmā (narrating)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic assembly scene: a deity/teacher explaining the graded emergence of groups through anuloma–viloma unions, using the cosmic body metaphor (pādatala).

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Anuloma
• Viloma
• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text presents a hierarchical social-cosmological model to emphasize ordered conduct (dharma) and the consequences of mixing established norms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it remains within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya discourse framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes categories arising from specific types of unions (anuloma/viloma) rather than prescribing a ritual.