Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणैर्निर्जितैर्मेने य आत्मानं जयान्वितम् । तामिस्रादिषु घोरेषु नरकेषु स पच्यते

Transliteration

brāhmaṇairnirjitairmene ya ātmānaṃ jayānvitam | tāmisrādiṣu ghoreṣu narakeṣu sa pacyate

Translation

Siya na, bagaman nadaig ng mga brāhmaṇa, ay nag-aakala pa ring siya ay nagwagi—siya ay lulutuin sa mga kakila-kilabot na impiyerno tulad ng Tāmisra.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• निर्जितैः: conquered/defeated
• निर्जितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि+जि (धातु) → निर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; qualifies ‘ब्राह्मणैः’ = ‘by (those) conquered/defeated’

• मेने: thought/considered
• मेने: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• जय-अन्वितम्: endowed with victory
• जय-अन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (जयेन अन्वितः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies ‘आत्मानम्’

• तामिस्र-आदिषु: in (hells) beginning with Tāmisra
• तामिस्र-आदिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तामिस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (तामिस्रं आदिः येषां ते); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘in Tamisra etc.’

• घोरेषु: terrible
• घोरेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; qualifies ‘नरकेषु’

• नरकेषु: in hells
• नरकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

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

• पच्यते: is tormented (lit. is cooked)
• पच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive) ‘is cooked/tormented’

Speaker

Duḥśīla

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tāmisra (as consequence realm)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral vision: an arrogant man, though spiritually subdued by brāhmaṇas, boasts of victory and is dragged toward the dark hell Tāmisra where he is ‘cooked’.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas
• Tāmisra (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride and denial of moral defeat—especially against spiritual authority—lead to severe karmic consequences; humility is upheld as dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a general moral warning embedded in the chapter’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes karmic retribution rather than a ritual.