Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

वेदांतगा द्विजाः सर्वे नित्यं स्वाध्यायशीलिनः । वेदव्याख्यानसंहृष्टा ब्रह्मज्ञानविचक्षणाः

Transliteration

vedāṃtagā dvijāḥ sarve nityaṃ svādhyāyaśīlinaḥ | vedavyākhyānasaṃhṛṣṭā brahmajñānavicakṣaṇāḥ

Translation

അവിടെയുള്ള എല്ലാ ദ്വിജരും വേദാന്തത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതരായി നിത്യം സ്വാധ്യായശീലികളാണ്. വേദവ്യാഖ്യാനത്തിൽ ആനന്ദിക്കുന്ന അവർ ബ്രഹ്മജ്ഞാനത്തിൽ വിവേകികളാണ്.

Word by Word

• vedānta-gāḥ: versed in Vedānta / having reached Vedānta
• vedānta-gāḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda + anta + gā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (dvijāḥ); ‘वेदान्तं गच्छन्ति/गताः’ इत्यर्थे

• dvijāḥ: Brahmins (twice-born)
• dvijāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (dvijāḥ)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन-द्वितीया (adverbial accusative)

• svādhyāya-śīlinaḥ: habitually devoted to self-study
• svādhyāya-śīlinaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svādhyāya + śīlin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (dvijāḥ); ‘स्वाध्याये शीलं येषाम्’

• veda-vyākhyāna-saṃhṛṣṭāḥ: delighted by explaining the Veda
• veda-vyākhyāna-saṃhṛṣṭāḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda + vyākhyāna + saṃhṛṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √hṛṣ with saṃ-)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (dvijāḥ); ‘वेदव्याख्यानेन संहृष्टाः’

• brahma-jñāna-vicakṣaṇāḥ: skilled in knowledge of Brahman
• brahma-jñāna-vicakṣaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman + jñāna + vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (dvijāḥ); ‘ब्रह्मज्ञान-विषये विचक्षणाः’

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shaded temple-maṇḍapa turned into a pāṭhaśālā: brāhmaṇas seated with palm-leaf manuscripts, one expounding, others listening; a quiet shrine nearby, indicating harmony of jñāna and bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Veda
• Vedānta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred land is recognized not only by miracles but by the living presence of Vedic learning, discipline, and Brahma-jñāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader tīrtha-region of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya is praised; the verse itself does not specify a named shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Svādhyāya (regular Vedic study/recitation) and Veda-vyākhyāna (teaching/exposition) are highlighted as ongoing dharmic practices.