Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अथापरोऽस्ति तन्नामा तत्र विप्रो वयोऽन्वितः । सोऽपि च ब्राह्मणः श्रेष्ठः सर्वविद्यासु पारगः

Transliteration

athāparo'sti tannāmā tatra vipro vayo'nvitaḥ | so'pi ca brāhmaṇaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarvavidyāsu pāragaḥ

Translation

At may isa pang brāhmaṇa roon na kapangalan niya, may katandaan na; siya man ay isang marangal na brāhmaṇa, bihasa sa lahat ng sangay ng kaalaman.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक

• अपरः: another (person)
• अपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Existential/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ

• नामा: name (named)
• नामा: Apposition/Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘name’ (अत्र—‘named’)

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

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वयः: age
• वयः: Karana/Hetu (accompaniment sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘age’

• अन्वितः: endowed with
• अन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + इ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘endowed/possessed’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Particle (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• ब्राह्मणः: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठः: excellent
• श्रेष्ठः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वविद्यासु: in all sciences/branches of knowledge
• सर्वविद्यासु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समासः—सर्वासु विद्यasu

• पारगः: master/expert
• पारगः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘one who has gone to the far shore’ (idiom: master)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from narrative context; explicit speaker appears at 8 as “Sūta uvāca”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Madhurā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two Brahmins named Gokarṇa: one younger, one elder; both scholarly, seated in parallel postures with manuscripts—visual symmetry hinting at impending divergence or comparison.

Characters & Entities

• Madhurā
• Gokarṇa (name-shared figure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas often set up moral causality through narrative detail: even similar names and status can lead to karmic consequences, highlighting the need for discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Madhurā remains the sacred backdrop, emphasizing its learned Brahmin community.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse introduces a second, elder Brahmin of the same name to prepare for the ensuing episode.