Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

नदीनां च यथा गंगा सतीनां चाप्यरुंधती । तद्वत्स्थानजविप्राणां श्रेष्ठोऽष्टकुलिकः स्मृतः

Transliteration

nadīnāṃ ca yathā gaṃgā satīnāṃ cāpyaruṃdhatī | tadvatsthānajaviprāṇāṃ śreṣṭho'ṣṭakulikaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

నదులలో గంగా శ్రేష్ఠమైనట్లే, సతీమణుల్లో అరుంధతి శ్రేష్ఠమైనట్లే, ఆ పుణ్యస్థానంలో జన్మించిన స్థానజ బ్రాహ్మణులలో అష్టకులికుడు శ్రేష్ఠుడని స్మరించబడుతున్నాడు।

Word by Word

• नदीनाम्: of rivers
• नदीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle: “as/like”)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सतीनाम्: of virtuous women
• सतीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: “also/even”)

• अरुन्धती: Arundhatī
• अरुन्धती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुन्धती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: तुलना-अव्यय (correlative adverb: “in the same way/likewise”)

• स्थानजविप्राणाम्: of the place-born Brahmins
• स्थानजविप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थानज + विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भाव): स्थानजाः विप्राः

• श्रेष्ठः: best, foremost
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अष्टकुलिकः: the Aṣṭakulika (of eight families)
• अष्टकुलिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट + कुलिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष): अष्टकुलसम्बद्धः

• स्मृतः: is regarded (as)
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः “is considered/remembered”

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (deduced from immediate context; explicit at 85)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā personified as a radiant river-goddess and Arundhatī as a serene, veiled pativratā appear as symbolic witnesses while an aṣṭakulika brāhmaṇa at the local ghāṭa instructs pilgrims in dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Arundhatī
• Aṣṭakulika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse teaches that in tīrtha-based rites, reverence for the most qualified local Brāhmaṇas is itself part of dharma and amplifies the merit (puṇya) of worship and offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks within a Tīrthamāhātmya context of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa, praising the sanctity of the ‘place’ (sthāna) and its native ritual authorities, without naming a single tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prescription: in rites connected to a sacred place, one should recognize and prioritize the foremost local Brāhmaṇa (here, the Aṣṭakulika) for ritual engagement and honor.