Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

एवं मे मधुपो जातो गुरुत्वे च द्विजोत्तमाः । तेनाहं तेजसा युक्तो नान्यदस्तीह कारणम्

Transliteration

evaṃ me madhupo jāto gurutve ca dvijottamāḥ | tenāhaṃ tejasā yukto nānyadastīha kāraṇam

Translation

ఇలా, ఓ ద్విజోత్తములారా, గురుత్వ విషయములో నేను ‘మధుప’ (తేనెటీగ) వలె అయ్యాను. దానివల్లనే నేను తేజస్సుతో యుక్తుడనయ్యాను; ఇక్కడ మరొక కారణం లేదు।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: 'thus')

• मे: of me, my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• मधुपः: bee (honey-drinker)
• मधुपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• जातः: became/was born
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे 'has become/was born'

• गुरुत्वे: in the state of being a teacher/weightiness
• गुरुत्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (singular)

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

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense in context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/निर्धारण: 'among द्विजs, the best'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तेन: by that, therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• तेजसा: with splendor/energy
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• युक्तः: endowed, joined
• युक्तः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अहम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karta (Subject of अस्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: 'here')

• कारणम्: cause, reason
• कारणम्: Karya-Karana-bhava (Cause/कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

Speaker

Unspecified first-person narrator addressing dvijottamas

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijoत्तamāḥ (best of twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker (learned ascetic/teacher) addresses ‘best of dvijas’; a symbolic bee hovers near a manuscript-lotus, and a subtle aura (tejas) surrounds the teacher, indicating authority born of assimilated wisdom.

Characters & Entities

• dvija
• madhupa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual authority and inner radiance arise from discernment and essence-taking (sāra) rather than from mere accumulation of words.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on the cause of tejas—discernment, study, and realization.