Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । सच्छूद्रैरपि नो कार्या वेदाक्षरविचारणा । न श्रोतव्या न पठ्या च पठन्नरकभाग्भवेत्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | sacchūdrairapi no kāryā vedākṣaravicāraṇā | na śrotavyā na paṭhyā ca paṭhannarakabhāgbhavet

Translation

自在天说道：即便是“善良的首陀罗”，也不应推究吠陀之文字。不可听闻，亦不可诵读；诵读者将分受地狱之报。

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सच्छूद्रैः: by good śūdras
• सच्छूद्रैः: Karana (Agent/means in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयसमास (“good/true śūdras”)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक निपात (particle “even/also”)

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive) बहुवचनस्य एन्क्लिटिक रूपम्; “our”

• कार्या: to be done
• कार्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; कृतान्त-कर्तव्यता (gerundive: “to be done”), विशेषण (of “vicāraṇā”)

• वेदाक्षरविचारणा: analysis of Vedic syllables/letters
• वेदाक्षरविचारणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य अक्षराणां विचारणा)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• श्रोतव्या: to be listened to
• श्रोतव्या: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; कृतान्त-कर्तव्यता (gerundive: “to be heard”), (विचारणा understood)

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• पठ्या: to be recited
• पठ्या: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पठ् (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; कृतान्त-कर्तव्यता (gerundive: “to be recited/read”), (विचारणा understood)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पठन्: reciting
• पठन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (one who recites)

• नरकभाक्: a sharer of hell
• नरकभाक्: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + भज् (धातु) → भाक् (कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कृतान्त (“narakaṃ bhajate” = one who partakes of hell)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (and accompanying sages/audience implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic assembly: Īśvara seated as teacher, speaking sternly about śāstra-boundaries; Skanda and sages listen; palm-leaf manuscripts and a sacrificial setting appear in the background to signal Vedic context.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Veda
• Sacchūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Within the text’s traditional framework, it asserts strict boundaries around Vedic study and recitation, linking transgression to negative karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a normative instruction within the dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition regarding Vedic hearing/recitation and Veda-syllable analysis for those labeled sacchūdra.