Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

एवं मे स गुरुर्जातः शरकारो द्विजोत्तमाः । शृणुध्वं कन्यका जाता गुरुत्वे मे यथा पुरा

Transliteration

evaṃ me sa gururjātaḥ śarakāro dvijottamāḥ | śṛṇudhvaṃ kanyakā jātā gurutve me yathā purā

Translation

ଏଭଳି, ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜୋତ୍ତମମାନେ, ସେ ଶରକାର (ବାଣ-ନିର୍ମାତା) ମୋର ଗୁରୁ ହେଲେ। ଏବେ ଶୁଣନ୍ତୁ—ପୂର୍ବବତ୍ ଏକ କନ୍ୟା ମଧ୍ୟ ମୋର ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱରେ ଗୁରୁ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (thus)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; मम/मे (genitive)

• saḥ: he/that
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• guruḥ: teacher
• guruḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• jātaḥ: became/was born
• jātaḥ: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-समर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/त) 'जात' = 'born/has become'; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेयभावेन (predicate)

• śarakāraḥ: maker of arrows
• śarakāraḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara + kāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (शर-कार = शराणां कारः/निर्माता)

• dvijottamāḥ: O best Brahmins
• dvijottamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः

• śṛṇudhvam: hear (you all)
• śṛṇudhvam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• kanyakā: a maiden/girl
• kanyakā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• jātā: was born/became
• jātā: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-समर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) + tā (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/त) स्त्रीलिङ्गरूपम्; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयभावेन

• gurutve: in the state of being a teacher
• gurutve: Adhikarana (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gurutva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (formerly)

Speaker

Unspecified first-person narrator addressing brāhmaṇas

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijoत्तamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble seeker bows to an arrow-maker holding a half-made arrow; in the next vignette, a young maiden instructs with composed authority, indicating guruhood transcending age and profession.

Characters & Entities

• śarakāra (arrow-maker)
• guru
• kanyakā (maiden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True instruction can arise from any station of life; humility makes one fit to receive wisdom from unexpected teachers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is part of a broader tīrtha-māhātmya narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces an exemplum about gurus and learning.