Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

कीदृशा ब्राह्मणा ब्रह्मञ्छ्राद्धार्हाः परिकीर्तिताः । कीदृशा वर्जनीयाश्च सर्वं मे विस्तराद्वद

Transliteration

kīdṛśā brāhmaṇā brahmañchrāddhārhāḥ parikīrtitāḥ | kīdṛśā varjanīyāśca sarvaṃ me vistarādvada

Translation

ข้าแต่พราหมณ์ พราหมณ์ชนเช่นใดจึงถูกกล่าวว่าเหมาะแก่การรับศราทธะ? และเช่นใดควรหลีกเว้น? โปรดบอกข้าพเจ้าทั้งหมดโดยพิสดาร

Word by Word

• कीदृशाः: of what kind
• कीदृशाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ब्राह्मणाः)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• श्राद्धार्हाः: fit for śrāddha
• श्राद्धार्हाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्राद्ध + अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (श्राद्धस्य अर्हाः)

• परिकीर्तिताः: have been proclaimed/described
• परिकीर्तिताः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+कीर्त् (धातु) → परिकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (have been described)

• कीदृशाः: of what kind
• कीदृशाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (वर्जनीयाः)

• वर्जनीयाः: to be avoided
• वर्जनीयाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु) → वर्जनीय (कृदन्त, अनीयर्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be avoided)

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

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—विस्तरेण (in detail)

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Ānarta (king of Ānarta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king asks which brāhmaṇas are fit for śrāddha and which must be avoided; the sage prepares to enumerate qualities and disqualifications.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual giving must be discerning; eligibility and conduct matter in dhārmic offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Criteria for selecting śrāddha-worthy Brāhmaṇas and identifying those to be avoided.