Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अहो मूढतमा यूयं यदेतद्ब्राह्मणत्रयम् । वृथा मृत्युमवाप्नोति निग्रहे सुगमे सति

Transliteration

aho mūḍhatamā yūyaṃ yadetadbrāhmaṇatrayam | vṛthā mṛtyumavāpnoti nigrahe sugame sati

Translation

‘ହାୟ, ତୁମେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ମୂଢ—ଏହି ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣତ୍ରୟ ଅନାବଶ୍ୟକଭାବେ ମୃତ୍ୟୁଦିଗକୁ ଯାଉଛି; ଯେତେବେଳେ ନିୟନ୍ତ୍ରଣ ଓ ସଂଶୋଧନ ସହଜରେ ସମ୍ଭବ।’

Word by Word

• अहो: alas!; oh!
• अहो: Discourse (सम्बोधन/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मय/निन्दार्थक उद्गार (interjection)

• मूढतमाः: most foolish
• मूढतमाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūḍha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + tama (तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative)

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (2nd person pronoun); प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• यत्: since; that
• यत्: Discourse (हेतु-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्यय; यत्-शब्दस्य अव्ययीभाव/सम्बन्ध-निपातरूप प्रयोग (introducing reason: ‘since/that’)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; संकेतक विशेषण

• ब्राह्मणत्रयम्: the group of three Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणत्रयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वक: ‘त्रयः ब्राह्मणाः’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (समूहवाचक)

• वृथा: in vain; uselessly
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in vain)

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अवाप्नोति: attains; meets with
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√āp (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निग्रहे: in restraint; in control (of senses)
• निग्रहे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• सुगमे: easy; readily attainable
• सुगमे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sugama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सति: when it exists; while it is present
• सति: Adhikarana (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/लोकटिव् एब्सोल्यूट)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन; सत्त्वे (locative absolute) वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ) ‘being/when there is’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग रूपेण अव्ययीभाववत्

Speaker

Śāṇḍilya (quoted within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the assembled brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śāṇḍilya points toward or references three brāhmaṇas in peril; the crowd shows shock; the sage’s expression mixes grief and stern resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Śāṇḍilya
• brāhmaṇa-traya (three brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma favors preventable, life-preserving correction and purification over needless self-destruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction will point to Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā in this sacred field as the accessible purifier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes ‘nigraha’ (restraint/prevention) as the immediate duty; specific expiations and Gaṅgā-snānā follow.