Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अनुलोमविलोमाभ्य ांक्रमाच्च क्रमयोगतः । शूद्रादधोऽधो जाताश्च सर्वे पादतलोद्भवाः

Transliteration

anulomavilomābhya ाṃkramācca kramayogataḥ | śūdrādadho'dho jātāśca sarve pādatalodbhavāḥ

Translation

انولوم اور ولوم کے ملاپ کے تدریجی سلسلے اور ان ترکیبوں کی ترتیب سے، شودر سے نیچے نیچے درجوں میں اور لوگ پیدا ہوئے—سب کو پاؤں کے تلوے سے اُبھرا ہوا کہا گیا ہے۔

Word by Word

• anuloma-vilomābhyām: by (means of) anuloma and viloma (orders)
• anuloma-vilomābhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anuloma + viloma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• kramāt: in due order; sequentially
• kramāt: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• krama-yogataḥ: by virtue of sequence; accordingly
• krama-yogataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama + yogataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थे/हेतौ: 'kramasya yogataḥ' (by virtue of order)

• śūdrāt: from the Shudra
• śūdrāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• adhaḥ: below; downward
• adhaḥ: Adhikarana (Direction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक (adverb: downward/below)

• adhaḥ: lower and lower
• adhaḥ: Adhikarana (Direction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• jātāḥ: were born
• jātāḥ: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (जन्) (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• pāda-tala-udbhavāḥ: arisen from the soles of the feet
• pāda-tala-udbhavāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāda + tala + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'pādasya talāt udbhavāḥ' (arisen from the sole of the foot)

Speaker

Brahmā (narrating)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic assembly scene: a deity/teacher explaining the graded emergence of groups through anuloma–viloma unions, using the cosmic body metaphor (pādatala).

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Anuloma
• Viloma
• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text presents a hierarchical social-cosmological model to emphasize ordered conduct (dharma) and the consequences of mixing established norms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it remains within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya discourse framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes categories arising from specific types of unions (anuloma/viloma) rather than prescribing a ritual.