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

ਉਸ ਨੇ ਮੰਤ੍ਰ-ਪੂਰਵਕ ਇਹ ਘੋਸ਼ਿਤ ਕੀਤਾ ਕਿ ਇਹ ਵਿਧਿ (ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ) ਪੂਜਾ-ਯੋਗ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ, ਹੇ ਦੇਵੋਤਮ! ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਆਦਿ ਸਭ ਵਰਣਾਂ ਲਈ।

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.