Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

सूनिको ध्वनिकश्चैव कौल्हिको मत्स्यघातकः । औनामिकस्तु चंडालः प्रकृत्याष्टादशैव ते

Transliteration

sūniko dhvanikaścaiva kaulhiko matsyaghātakaḥ | aunāmikastu caṃḍālaḥ prakṛtyāṣṭādaśaiva te

Translation

കശാപ്പുകാരൻ, മൃദംഗി/വാദ്യകാരൻ, കൗൽഹികൻ, മത്സ്യഹന്താവ്; കൂടാതെ ‘ഔനാമികൻ’ ചണ്ഡാലനെന്ന് പറയപ്പെടുന്നു—പ്രകൃതിവിഭാഗത്തിൽ ഇവർ പതിനെട്ട്.

Word by Word

• सूनिकः: butcher (sūnika)
• सूनिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूनिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ध्वनिकः: musician/sound-maker
• ध्वनिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वनिक (प्रातिपदिक; ध्वनि + क)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात

• कौल्हिकः: kaulhika (a specific artisan/worker)
• कौल्हिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौल्हिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मत्स्यघातकः: fish-killer/fisherman
• मत्स्यघातकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य-घातक (प्रातिपदिक; मत्स्य + घातक (√हन् (हिंसागत्योः) + ण्वुल्))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मत्स्यानां घातकः)

• औनामिकः: aunāmika (a specific caste/occupation)
• औनामिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औनामिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; विरोध/विशेषार्थ (but/indeed)

• चण्डालः: Caṇḍāla
• चण्डालः: Predicate Noun (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रकृत्या: by nature
• प्रकृत्या: Instrument/Reason (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु (by nature)

• अष्टादश: eighteen
• अष्टादश: Predicate/Quantifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टादश (प्रातिपदिक; अष्ट + दश)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (संख्यावाचक), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (ते इति विशेष्य)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: figures representing butcher, drummer, artisan-group ‘kaulhika’, fish-slayer, and an aunāmika labeled as caṇḍāla—shown at the edge of a tīrtha precinct, with a narrator-sage indicating categories on a palm-leaf register.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It continues a classificatory description used in the chapter’s dharma framing, rather than a direct sādhanā instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly stated.