Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

क्षत्रियैर्ब्राह्मणः शास्यो भार्यया च पतिस्तथा । उन्मार्गगामिनं श्रेष्ठमपि वेदान्तपारगम्

Transliteration

kṣatriyairbrāhmaṇaḥ śāsyo bhāryayā ca patistathā | unmārgagāminaṃ śreṣṭhamapi vedāntapāragam

Translation

ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଯଦି ଉନ୍ମାର୍ଗଗାମୀ ହୁଏ, ତେବେ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ତାକୁ ଶାସନ କରିବେ; ସେପରି ଭାର୍ଯ୍ୟା ମଧ୍ୟ ପତିକୁ—ସେ ଭୁଲ ପଥରେ ଚାଲିଲେ, ସେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଓ ବେଦାନ୍ତପାରଗ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• क्षत्रियैः: by the kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• शास्यः: to be governed/controlled
• शास्यः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास् (धातु) + यत्-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: भविष्यत्कर्मणि/विधेय-भावे यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘शासितव्यः’

• भार्यया: by the wife
• भार्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पतिः: a husband
• पतिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/so too
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• उन्मार्गगामिनम्: one who goes on a wrong path
• उन्मार्गगामिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मार्ग + गामिन् (प्रातिपदिक); गम् (धातु) → गामिन्
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उन्मार्गे गामिन्), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठम्: even (if) excellent
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• वेदान्तपारगम्: one who has mastered Vedānta
• वेदान्तपारगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेदान्त + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदान्तस्य पारगः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from the continuous dharma-upadeśa tone in the adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa with Vedānta texts is gently but firmly stopped by a kṣatriya guardian at a temple threshold; in a parallel vignette, a wife counsels her husband away from a wrongful act; dharma is depicted as a luminous path behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Vedānta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning and status do not sanctify wrongdoing; whoever deviates from dharma should be corrected, irrespective of rank.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific site is not named in this verse; it provides dharmic standards within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is described; the instruction concerns moral governance and correction of unmārga (wrong conduct).