Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

क्रमोऽयं सर्ववर्णानां प्रकृतीनां सदैव हि । क्रमेण रहितो यस्तु करोति मनुजो जपम् । तस्य प्रकुप्यति विभुर्नरकादिप्रदायकः

Transliteration

kramo'yaṃ sarvavarṇānāṃ prakṛtīnāṃ sadaiva hi | krameṇa rahito yastu karoti manujo japam | tasya prakupyati vibhurnarakādipradāyakaḥ

Translation

诚然，此乃为一切阶层与凡众所恒常确立之次第。若有人不依此正当次第而行持念诵（japa），则主宰震怒，成为赐与地狱等诸苦果之施与者。

Word by Word

• kramaḥ: the order; sequence
• kramaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• sarva-varṇānām: of all varṇas
• sarva-varṇānām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive: 'of all classes/varṇas')

• prakṛtīnām: of the common people
• prakṛtīnām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• eva: indeed; certainly
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• hi: indeed; for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (particle: 'for/indeed')

• krameṇa: in due order
• krameṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrumental: 'by/with order')

• rahitaḥ: devoid (of); without
• rahitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies 'yaḥ')

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

• tu: but; however
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष (particle: 'but/indeed')

• karoti: does; performs
• karoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• manujaḥ: a man; person
• manujaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (subject of 'karoti')

• japam: repetition; japa
• japam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object of 'karoti')

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive: 'of him')

• prakupyati: becomes angry; is enraged
• prakupyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kup (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• vibhuḥ: the Lord; the mighty one
• vibhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (subject of 'prakupyati')

• narakādi-pradāyakaḥ: the giver of hell and the like (punishments)
• narakādi-pradāyakaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naraka-ādi + pradāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies 'vibhuḥ')

Speaker

Śiva (Mahādeva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern didactic moment: the Lord’s face turns grave as he warns of consequences for disorderly japa; imagery of a scale of dharma vs. naraka as symbolic backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (as Vibhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline and correctness in sacred practice matter; careless or ruleless recitation is portrayed as spiritually harmful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse focuses on mantra-krama as part of the māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa should be performed following the prescribed order (krama); violating the rule is warned against.