Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

किं कुलीनैर्गुणाढ्यैर्वा तेजोविद्याविचक्षणैः । त्रिजातोऽपि वरं सोऽपि स्वं स्थानं येन चोद्धृतम्

Transliteration

kiṃ kulīnairguṇāḍhyairvā tejovidyāvicakṣaṇaiḥ | trijāto'pi varaṃ so'pi svaṃ sthānaṃ yena coddhṛtam

Translation

Cần gì đến người dòng dõi cao sang, hay kẻ giàu đức hạnh, hay bậc tinh thông uy quang và học vấn? Ngay cả Trijāta cũng là bậc tối thắng, vì nhờ ông mà nơi chốn của chính mình được nâng lên và phục hồi.

Word by Word

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (interrogative particle: ‘what use...?’)

• kulīnaiḥ: by the well-born (people)
• kulīnaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kulīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• guṇāḍhyaiḥ: rich in virtues
• guṇāḍhyaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇa + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुणैः आढ्यः) kulīnaiḥ-विशेषणम्

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• tejo-vidyā-vicakṣaṇaiḥ: skilled in brilliance and learning
• tejo-vidyā-vicakṣaṇaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tejas + vidyā + vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक-त्रय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (तेजः च विद्या च) + तत्पुरुष-आश्रित विशेषण (तयोः विचक्षणः) kulīnaiḥ-समुच्चित-विशेषणम्

• trijātaḥ: the twice/thrice-born man
• trijātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + jāta (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः; (here used substantively)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (concessive/also)

• varam: better (rather)
• varam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘वरम्’ (better/rather) क्रियाविशेषण

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

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also)

• svam: his own
• svam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; स्व-शब्द; sthānam-विशेषणम्

• sthānam: place, position
• sthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• yena: by whom/whereby
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-येन (relative pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• uddhṛtam: was lifted up, was restored
• uddhṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud + √hṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘उद्धृतम्’ (raised/rescued)

Speaker

Inquirer (unnamed in snippet; continuing the question to the narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Trijāta, modest yet radiant, leads restoration—clearing a sacred path, repairing a shrine or tank embankment—while learned elites look on, humbled by his merit.

Characters & Entities

• Trijāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True excellence is measured by dharmic action—especially service that restores and protects a sacred place—rather than by mere birth or reputation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse continues within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it praises the act of uplifting/restoring the sacred locale.