Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

तत्र ते संभविष्यंति कुत्सिता ये च मानवाः । कुलीनमपि संत्यज्य वरं रूपवयोन्वितम्

Transliteration

tatra te saṃbhaviṣyaṃti kutsitā ye ca mānavāḥ | kulīnamapi saṃtyajya varaṃ rūpavayonvitam

Translation

ที่นั่นคนอัปยศจะรุ่งเรือง แม้ความเป็นผู้ดีมีตระกูลก็ถูกละทิ้ง ผู้คนจะเลือกสิ่งที่ดูว่า ‘ประเสริฐ’ เพียงภายนอก—ความงามและวัยหนุ่มสาว—แทนคุณค่าที่แท้จริง

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

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

• संभविष्यन्ति: will arise/come into being
• संभविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुत्सिताः: despicable
• कुत्सिताः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुत्सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

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

• कुलीनम्: a noble (man)
• कुलीनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (used substantively)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even/also)

• संत्यज्य: having abandoned
• संत्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• वरम्: a better (one), a choice
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रूपवयोन्वितम्: endowed with beauty and youth
• रूपवयोन्वितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + वयस् + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; तृतीया/सह-तत्पुरुषार्थ (rūpeṇa vayasa ca anvitaḥ)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A public assembly where disreputable men are honored; noble elders are ignored; a young, beautiful figure is chosen over a virtuous one; the sage narrates with restrained sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer qualities (beauty, youth) are unreliable; dharma values character, conduct, and truth over appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it is part of a broader teaching embedded in the Mahatmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral diagnosis of societal priorities during dharma-decline.