Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कस्यचिद्रूपमत्युग्रं न कुलं च सुनिर्मलम् । कुलं रूपं च यस्य स्यात्तस्य नो गुणसंचयः

Transliteration

kasyacidrūpamatyugraṃ na kulaṃ ca sunirmalam | kulaṃ rūpaṃ ca yasya syāttasya no guṇasaṃcayaḥ

Translation

บางคนรูปงามเด่นนัก แต่ตระกูลมิได้ผุดผ่องบริสุทธิ์ทั้งหมด; อีกบางคนมีทั้งตระกูลและรูปโฉม ทว่าไร้คลังแห่งคุณธรรม

Word by Word

• kasya: of someone
• kasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; प्रश्न/अनिश्चित सर्वनाम (of someone/whose)

• cit: some (indefinite)
• cit: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = indefinite particle ‘some’

• rūpam: beauty
• rūpam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (form/beauty)

• ati-ugram: very harsh/fierce
• ati-ugram: Karta (Adjectival to subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati-ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः: अति + उग्रम (excessively fierce); विशेषणम् (of rūpam)

• na: not
• na: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• kulam: family
• kulam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (family/lineage)

• ca: and
• ca: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• sunirmalam: very pure
• sunirmalam: Karta (Adjectival to subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-nirmala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः: सु + निर्मलम् (very pure); विशेषणम् (of kulam)

• kulam: family
• kulam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (family)

• rūpam: beauty
• rūpam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (beauty)

• ca: and
• ca: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (of whom/whose)

• syāt: may be / is
• syāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (may be/should be/is)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (of him)

• naḥ: for us
• naḥ: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन; अत्र: ‘for us’ (dative sense)

• guṇa-saṃcayaḥ: accumulation of virtues
• guṇa-saṃcayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa-saṃcaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: गुणानां संचयः (collection of virtues)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A series of suitors shown in contrasting panels: one radiant but with shadowed/tainted family backdrop; another noble family setting and handsome face but with subtle signs of arrogance or vice; the brāhmaṇa notes the imbalance.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (implied)
• Kula (lineage)
• Guṇa (virtues)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma prioritizes virtues (guṇa) over mere beauty (rūpa) or social pedigree (kula).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as moral commentary within a pilgrimage-style narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse teaches criteria of character rather than ritual performance.