Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

रजकश्चर्मकारश्च नटो बुरुड एव च । कैवर्त्तमेदभिल्लाश्च चंडालाः शूद्रमानवाः

Transliteration

rajakaścarmakāraśca naṭo buruḍa eva ca | kaivarttamedabhillāśca caṃḍālāḥ śūdramānavāḥ

Translation

พวกช่างซักผ้า (รชกะ), ช่างหนัง (จรมการะ), นาฏะ (นักแสดง) และพวกบุรุฑะ; อีกทั้งไกวรตะ เมทะ ภิลละ และจัณฑาละ—ทั้งหมดนี้ถูกกล่าวว่าเป็นชุมชนศูทรในหมู่มนุษย์

Word by Word

• रजकः: washerman
• रजकः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine; nominative singular)

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

• चर्मकारः: leather-worker
• चर्मकारः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carmakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine; nominative singular)

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

• नटः: actor, dancer
• नटः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine; nominative singular)

• बुरुडः: Buruḍa (a community/tribe name)
• बुरुडः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buruḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine; nominative singular)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle: “indeed/just”)

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

• कैवर्त्त-मेद-भिल्लाः: Kaivarttas, Medas, and Bhillas
• कैवर्त्त-मेद-भिल्लाः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaivartta (प्रातिपदिक) + meda (प्रातिपदिक) + bhilla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (समाहार/इतरेतर: कैवर्त्ताश्च मेदाश्च भिल्लाश्च); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (Masculine; nominative plural)

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

• चण्डालाः: Caṇḍālas
• चण्डालाः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṇḍāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (Masculine; nominative plural)

• शूद्र-मानवाः: Śūdra people
• शूद्र-मानवाः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdra (प्रातिपदिक) + mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (शूद्राः मानवाः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (Masculine; nominative plural)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (implied narration to Indra in this adhyāya’s dialogue context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A marketplace/ghat-side scene showing diverse occupational groups—washermen at the river, leather-workers with tools, performers with drums—presented as a documentary tableau of society around the sacred place.

Characters & Entities

• Rajaka
• Carmakāra
• Naṭa
• Buruḍa
• Kaivarta
• Meda
• Bhilla
• Caṇḍāla
• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse shifts to a classificatory description of communities; its lesson is contextual—setting up a question about origins rather than prescribing a ritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as part of a broader Adhyāya 27 discussion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it lists community/occupation names.