Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

गुरवश्च तथा शिष्यैः स्त्रीभिश्च पुरुषाधमाः । स्वामिनो भृत्यवर्गैश्च मूर्खैश्चापि बहुश्रुताः

Transliteration

guravaśca tathā śiṣyaiḥ strībhiśca puruṣādhamāḥ | svāmino bhṛtyavargaiśca mūrkhaiścāpi bahuśrutāḥ

Translation

அங்கே குருக்கள் சீடர்களால் அவமதிக்கப்படுவர்; தகுதியான ஆண்களும் கீழ்மக்களின் (மற்றும் பெண்களின்) ஆட்பாட்டில் ஆவார்; ஆண்டவர்கள் பணியாளர்களால் அடக்கப்படுவர்; பலகற்றோரும் மூடர்களால் இகழப்படுவர்.

Word by Word

• guravaḥ: teachers
• guravaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• śiṣyaiḥ: by disciples
• śiṣyaiḥ: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• strībhiḥ: by women
• strībhiḥ: Kartr-karana (Agent/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• puruṣādhamāḥ: worst of men/base fellows
• puruṣādhamāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puruṣa-adhama (प्रातिपदिक; puruṣa+adhama)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण (implicit) guravaḥ/svāminaḥ etc. as 'base men'

• svāminaḥ: masters/lords
• svāminaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• bhṛtyavargaiḥ: by groups of servants
• bhṛtyavargaiḥ: Kartr-karana (Agent/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛtya-varga (प्रातिपदिक; bhṛtya+varga)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• mūrkhaiḥ: by fools
• mūrkhaiḥ: Kartr-karana (Agent/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: 'also/even')

• bahuśrutāḥ: learned/much-heard (well-read)
• bahuśrutāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu-śruta (प्रातिपदिक; bahu+śruta)
• Form: कृदन्त (PPP-like adjective) śruta from √śru (श्रु) 'heard/learned'; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण (implicit) guravaḥ/svāminaḥ

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A classroom/āśrama scene inverted: a guru seated in sorrow while arrogant disciples stand over him; a master ignored by servants; a learned sage mocked by fools—portraying Kali’s reversal of respect.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma declines, proper respect for knowledge, mentorship, and rightful responsibility becomes inverted.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse; it serves as a warning sign within tīrtha-māhātmya framing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes social disorder rather than prescribing a vow or pilgrimage act.