Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

रजकश्चर्मकारश्च नटो बुरुड एव च । कैवर्त्तमेदभिल्लाश्च सप्तैते अन्त्यजाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

rajakaścarmakāraśca naṭo buruḍa eva ca | kaivarttamedabhillāśca saptaite antyajāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

Tukang basuh, tukang kulit, pelakon/penari, dan buruḍa; serta kaivartta, meda dan bhilla—tujuh golongan ini diingati sebagai ‘antyaja’, mereka yang ditempatkan di pinggiran masyarakat.

Word by Word

• रजकः: washerman
• रजकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• चर्मकारः: leather-worker
• चर्मकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; चर्म करोति इति

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• नटः: actor; dancer
• नटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• बुरुडः: buruḍa (a community/occupation term)
• बुरुडः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कैवर्त्तः: fisherman; boatman
• कैवर्त्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैवर्त्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मेदभिल्लाः: meda-bhillas (a named tribe/group)
• मेदभिल्लाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेद (प्रातिपदिक) + भिल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; मेदं (मांसं/चर्बी) भिल्लाः इति (a named group)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचनार्थे (agreeing with एते)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्त्यजाः: outcastes; those born in the lowest (group)
• अन्त्यजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त्यज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• स्मृताः: are said/considered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘स्मृत’ = considered/said

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a river-ghāṭ near a temple-town: washerman at water, leather-worker with tools, actor/dancer (naṭa) performing, buruḍa figure (local community) present, and tribal groups (kaivartta/fisherfolk, meda, bhilla) at the periphery—contrasted with the temple spire and pilgrims, highlighting liminality.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It preserves terminology of social-group classification in the text’s historical-dharma setting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.