Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अपूज्योऽयं विधिः प्रोक्तस्तया मंत्रपुरःसरः । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां विप्रादीनां सुरो त्तमाः

Transliteration

apūjyo'yaṃ vidhiḥ proktastayā maṃtrapuraḥsaraḥ | sarveṣāmeva varṇānāṃ viprādīnāṃ suro ttamāḥ

Translation

Wahai yang terbaik antara para dewa, dia telah menyatakan—didahului oleh mantera suci—bahawa Brahmā (Vidhi) ini tidak layak dipuja, bagi semua varna, bermula dengan para Brahmana.

Word by Word

• अपूज्यः: not to be worshipped / unworthy of worship
• अपूज्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् (धातु) + अ- उपसर्ग/निषेध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (gerundive/तव्यत्-अर्थः: 'पूजनीयः' इत्यस्य निषेधः)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विधिः: rule/rite/ordinance
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रोक्तः: was said/declared
• प्रोक्तः: Karma (Predicate/कर्म-भावः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रोक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + प्र- उपसर्ग; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मन्त्रपुरःसरः: preceded by mantras / with mantras in front
• मन्त्रपुरःसरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समासः (मन्त्रः पुरः यस्य/मन्त्रेण पुरःसरः) विशेषणम्

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनामसदृश-विशेषण

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• वर्णानाम्: of the social classes/varṇas
• वर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• विप्रादीनाम्: of the brāhmaṇas and others
• विप्रादीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (विप्रः आदिः येषाम्)

• सुरोत्तमाः: the best of the gods
• सुरोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (उत्तमाः सुराः)

Speaker

Gāyatrī (within Sūta’s narration; reporting Sāvitrī’s pronouncement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (addressed as 'surottamāḥ')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine feminine authority (unnamed in the verse) pronounces a decree about Vidhi/Brahmā’s worship-worthiness; gods listen in a solemn assembly, with mantra as the preface to the proclamation.

Characters & Entities

• Vidhi (Brahmā)
• Sāvitrī
• Mantra
• Varṇas
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Surottama (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives emphasize that adhikāra (worthiness) for worship is tied to dharma and conduct; even high status can be constrained by moral consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The statement belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative arc within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition is implied: Brahmā (Vidhi) is declared ‘apūjya’ (not to be worshipped) for all varṇas; no procedural details are given here.