Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

जन्मना जायते शूद्रः संस्काराद्द्विज उच्यते । शापानुग्रहसामर्थ्यं तथा क्रोधः प्रसन्नता

Transliteration

janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṃskārāddvija ucyate | śāpānugrahasāmarthyaṃ tathā krodhaḥ prasannatā

Translation

پیدائش سے انسان شُودر کے طور پر جنم لیتا ہے؛ سنسکاروں سے وہ ‘دویج’ کہلاتا ہے۔ اسی سے لعنت کرنے اور کرم فرمانے کی قوت پیدا ہوتی ہے—اور اسی طرح غضب اور رضا کی طاقت بھی۔

Word by Word

• जन्मना: by birth
• जन्मना: Karaṇa/Hetu (Means/Cause/करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शूद्रः: a śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karma (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-नाम (predicate nominative)

• संस्कारात्: from (ritual) consecration/saṃskāra
• संस्कारात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन

• द्विजः: twice-born
• द्विजः: Karma (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-नाम (predicate nominative)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + उत् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• शापानुग्रहसामर्थ्यम्: power of cursing and blessing
• शापानुग्रहसामर्थ्यम्: Karma (Object/topic/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + सामर्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (शापश्च अनुग्रहश्च—तयोः सामर्थ्यम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/उपमानबोधक adverb)

• क्रोधः: anger
• क्रोधः: Karta (Subject/topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• प्रसन्नता: serenity/favor
• प्रसन्नता: Karta (Subject/topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसन्नता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Nāgara Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru performs upanayana for a student: yajñopavīta being placed, with a small sacred fire; to one side, a split-panel allegory shows a harsh curse as dark flame and a blessing as cool light, both emerging from the same consecrated mouth—signaling responsibility.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃskāra
• Dvija
• Śāpa (curse)
• Anugraha (blessing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual nobility is cultivated through saṃskāra and discipline; inner refinement grants moral and spiritual potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse serves the broader tīrtha-māhātmya discourse but does not name a particular tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃskāra (consecratory rites) is highlighted as the transformative means by which ‘dvija’ status is attained.