Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तेषां मध्ये तु यो बौद्धः शांतो दांत इति स्मृतः । छन्दोगगोत्रविख्यातो वेदवेदांगपारगः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ madhye tu yo bauddhaḥ śāṃto dāṃta iti smṛtaḥ | chandogagotravikhyāto vedavedāṃgapāragaḥ

Translation

వారిలో బౌద్ధుడైన వాడు ‘శాంత’ ‘దాంత’ అని ప్రసిద్ధుడు; ఛాందోగ గోత్రవిఖ్యాతుడు, వేదములు మరియు వేదాంగములలో పారంగతుడు.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-निपात (contrastive particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• बौद्धः: the Buddhist (one)
• बौद्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बौद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• शान्तः: peaceful
• शान्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √शम् (धातु) + क्त (PPP))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP)

• दांतः: self-controlled
• दांतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दांत (प्रातिपदिक; दान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• स्मृतः: is known/called
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicative verbal sense/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (PPP))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) प्रयुक्तः विधेय-रूपे (predicative ‘is called/known’)

• छन्दोगगोत्रविख्यातः: renowned as of the Chāndoga lineage
• छन्दोगगोत्रविख्यातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छन्दोग + गोत्र + विख्यात (प्रातिपदिक; √ख्या (धातु) + क्त (PPP))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (छन्दोग-गोत्रे विख्यातः)

• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: one who has mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + वेदाङ्ग + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (वेद-वेदाङ्ग) + उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पारगः = पारं गतः)

Speaker

Atithi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āsannava-pura (narrative locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Portrait-like focus on Bauddha: serene eyes, composed posture, holding a palm-leaf manuscript; symbols of Vedic learning (rosary, waterpot) and restraint (simple attire).

Characters & Entities

• Bauddha
• Śānta
• Dāṃta
• Chāndoga-gotra
• Veda
• Vedāṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True religious authority is portrayed as a blend of learning (śāstra-jñāna) and character—peacefulness and self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it characterizes a key figure within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive (qualities, gotra, learning).