Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

त्रिविधाः पुरुषास्तत्र श्रेष्ठाश्चाधममध्यमाः । त्रिविधानि च कर्माणि प्रकुर्वंति सुरेश्वर

Transliteration

trividhāḥ puruṣāstatra śreṣṭhāścādhamamadhyamāḥ | trividhāni ca karmāṇi prakurvaṃti sureśvara

Translation

ที่นั่นมนุษย์มีสามจำพวก—ประเสริฐ ปานกลาง และต่ำทราม; และย่อมกระทำกรรมสามประการให้สอดคล้องกัน โอ้จอมเทพ

Word by Word

• trividhāḥ: threefold
• trividhāḥ: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः 'त्रयो विधाः यस्य' (here: 'of three kinds')

• puruṣāḥ: men, persons
• puruṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• śreṣṭhāḥ: the best
• śreṣṭhāḥ: Karta (Appositive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; गुणवाचक-शब्दः (श्रेष्ठ = best)

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

• adhama-madhyamāḥ: the low and the middling
• adhama-madhyamāḥ: Karta (Appositive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhama (प्रातिपदिक) + madhyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (adhama + madhyama)

• trividhāni: threefold
• trividhāni: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः

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

• karmāṇi: actions, deeds
• karmāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• prakurvanti: perform
• prakurvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√kṛ (धातु: कृ)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• sureśvara: O lord of the gods
• sureśvara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः 'सुराणाम् ईश्वरः'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in the snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sureśvara/Deveśa (as addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau of three groups—noble, middling, base—each performing corresponding actions, with a divine witness (Sura-īśvara) indicating moral gradation.

Characters & Entities

• Sureśvara (Indra)
• Karma
• Puruṣa (people)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human character expresses itself through action; cultivating śreṣṭha (noble) conduct is the practical path of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral categorization meant to guide self-assessment and dharmic improvement.