Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

पैजवन उवाच । मामनुग्रहजां बुद्धिं ब्रूहि त्वं द्विजपुंगव । वेदेऽधिकारो नैवास्ति वेदसारजपस्य वा

Transliteration

paijavana uvāca | māmanugrahajāṃ buddhiṃ brūhi tvaṃ dvijapuṃgava | vede'dhikāro naivāsti vedasārajapasya vā

Translation

पैजवन म्हणाला—हे द्विजश्रेष्ठ, तुमच्या कृपेने उत्पन्न झालेली बुद्धी मला सांगा. मला वेदाध्ययनाचा अधिकार नाही, वेदसार-जपाचाही नाही.

Word by Word

• paijavanaḥ: Paijavana
• paijavanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paijavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• anugraha-jām: born of favor/grace
• anugraha-jām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anugraha (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अनुग्रहात् जाता) विशेषण (buddhim इति)

• buddhim: understanding
• buddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• brūhi: tell (me)
• brūhi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dvija-puṃgava: O best of the twice-born
• dvija-puṃgava: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + puṃgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां पुंगवः)

• vede: in the Veda
• vede: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• adhikāraḥ: eligibility/authority
• adhikāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• veda-sāra-japasya: of the recitation of the essence of the Veda
• veda-sāra-japasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + sāra (प्रातिपदिक) + japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य सारः; तस्य जपः)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Paijavana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paijavana, earnest and slightly anxious, folds hands before a serene brāhmaṇa-sage; the seeker’s posture conveys humility and longing for a path suited to him.

Characters & Entities

• Paijavana
• dvijapuṃgava (brāhmaṇa)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When one lacks eligibility for certain scriptural disciplines, one should seek compassionate guidance toward accessible, dharmic practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it is part of a broader tīrthamāhātmya discourse in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse mentions ineligibility for Vedic study and for “veda-sāra” japa, prompting a request for an alternative teaching.