Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

यथा काक यवाः प्रोक्ता यथारण्यास्तिलोद्भवाः । नाममात्रप्रसिद्धाश्च तथा ते मानवा भुवि

Transliteration

yathā kāka yavāḥ proktā yathāraṇyāstilodbhavāḥ | nāmamātraprasiddhāśca tathā te mānavā bhuvi

Translation

ดุจที่กล่าวถึง “ข้าวบาร์เลย์ของกา” และดุจงาดงที่เกิดในป่า—เป็นที่รู้จักเพียงแต่ชื่อ—ฉันใด มนุษย์เช่นนั้นในโลกก็ฉันนั้น มีแต่ชื่อเสียงลมๆ แล้งๆ ไร้แก่นสารแท้

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/उदाहरणार्थे (indeclinable; 'as/just as')

• काक: a crow
• काक: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन (Singular)

• यवाः: barleys
• यवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रोक्ताः: are called/said
• प्रोक्ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थे (indeclinable; 'as')

• अरण्याः: (in) forests / wild
• अरण्याः: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• तिलोद्भवाः: sesame-sprouts / sesame-born (plants)
• तिलोद्भवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: तिलस्य उद्भवः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.); एकवचन

• मात्र: mere/only
• मात्र: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (agreeing with नाम)

• प्रसिद्धाः: well-known
• प्रसिद्धाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√सिध् (धातु) → प्रसिद्ध (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, adjectival); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

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

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्वत्/एवम् (adverb)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

• मानवाः: men/humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Symbolic tableau: a heap of poor ‘crow-barley’ and wild sesame in a forest clearing, juxtaposed with a shining heap of true grain; behind, human figures labeled by fame vs virtue.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without real practice, a person’s ‘religious identity’ becomes mere reputation—name without inner transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is invoked; it is a moral illustration within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it reinforces the necessity of genuine niyama rather than empty formalism.