Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तथा च क्षत्रियविशां करणान्मुक्तिरुत्तमा । शूद्राणां नाधिकारोऽस्मिन्स्त्रीणां नैव कदाचन

Transliteration

tathā ca kṣatriyaviśāṃ karaṇānmuktiruttamā | śūdrāṇāṃ nādhikāro'sminstrīṇāṃ naiva kadācana

Translation

Gayundin, para sa kṣatriya at vaiśya, sa pagsasagawa nito ay may dakilang paglaya. Ngunit para sa śūdra ay walang karapatan sa bagay na ito—at para sa mga babae ay hindi kailanman.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction “and/also”)

• क्षत्रियविशाम्: of kṣatriyas and vaiśyas
• क्षत्रियविशाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + विश्/वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (kṣatriyas and vaiśyas)

• करणात्: from (their) act/doing; by means of practice
• करणात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणार्थे (ablative of cause)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• उत्तमा: supreme
• उत्तमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying “muktiḥ”)

• शूद्राणाम्: of śūdras
• शूद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अधिकारः: eligibility/authority
• अधिकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this (matter)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle “indeed/just”)

• कदाचन: ever; at any time
• कदाचन: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb “ever/at any time”)

Speaker

Narrative voice continuing Īśvara’s discourse (speaker implicit from preceding verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal teaching assembly where eligibility rules for a specific ritual are recited; scribes/priestly figures, with others listening—tone of juridical śāstra.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣatriya
• Vaiśya
• Śūdra
• Women

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse presents a traditional ‘adhikāra’ framing: certain rites are described as restricted by social category within the text’s dharma discourse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on eligibility for a practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It refers back to the previously described worship practice and discusses who is considered eligible to perform it.