Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

तेषां मध्यस्थितश्चैकस्त्रिजातो ब्राह्मणाधमः । तेन तद्दूषितं द्रव्यं समग्रं होमसंभवम्

Transliteration

teṣāṃ madhyasthitaścaikastrijāto brāhmaṇādhamaḥ | tena taddūṣitaṃ dravyaṃ samagraṃ homasaṃbhavam

Translation

“ท่ามกลางพวกเขามีผู้หนึ่งยืนอยู่ เป็นตรีชาติผู้ต่ำทรามในหมู่พราหมณ์; เพราะเขานั้นเอง วัตถุบูชาทั้งสิ้นที่จัดเพื่อโหมะจึงแปดเปื้อนมัวหมอง”

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम्

• मध्यस्थितः: standing in the middle
• मध्यस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः ‘मध्ये स्थितः’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• एकः: one
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• त्रिजातः: of mixed/threefold birth
• त्रिजातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + जात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; द्विगु/तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘त्रिषु जातः’/‘त्रिजातिः’ (of mixed/threefold birth)

• ब्राह्मणाधमः: a vile brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाधमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + अधम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (अधमः ब्राह्मणः)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• दूषितम्: defiled
• दूषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूष् (धातु) → दूषित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः

• द्रव्यम्: substance / material
• द्रव्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• समग्रम्: entire
• समग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• होमसम्भवम्: arising from the homa
• होमसम्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: होम + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (होमस्य सम्भवम् = arising from the homa)

Speaker

Vahni (Agni)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (Brahmins)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni reveals a troubling figure among the sixteen—one marked as unworthy—standing amid the circle; the offerings and ladles appear shadowed/tainted, smoke turning dark to signify defilement.

Characters & Entities

• Homa
• Brāhmaṇas
• Trijāta (irregular initiate)
• Vahni (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual efficacy depends on purity of conduct and qualification; a single adharmic element can corrupt a collective rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter but is primarily about ritual integrity, not a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit requirement: ensure qualified, pure participants and undefiled materials in homa; remove the contaminating agent.