Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

प्रतोदो वैश्यया धार्यो वासोंतः शूद्रया तथा । असवर्णा स्वेष विधिः स्मृतौ दृष्टश्च वेदने

Transliteration

pratodo vaiśyayā dhāryo vāsoṃtaḥ śūdrayā tathā | asavarṇā sveṣa vidhiḥ smṛtau dṛṣṭaśca vedane

Translation

وللمرأة الفيشيا (Vaiśya) تُحمَل المِهْمَازةُ (goad) عقوبةً؛ وكذلك للمرأة الشودرية (Śūdra) تُحمَل عقوبةُ «فاسومتا» (vāsoṃta) المقرّرة. أمّا المرأة من فَرْنَا أخرى، فلهَا حكمٌ مغايرٌ يُرى في السمرِتي (Smṛti) وكذلك في الفهمِ التشريعيّ للڤيدا.

Word by Word

• pratodaḥ: a goad/whip
• pratodaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratoda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• vaiśyayā: by a Vaiśya woman
• vaiśyayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन

• dhāryaḥ: should be held
• dhāryaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धृ, धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विध्यर्थः

• vāsaḥ-antaḥ: the end/hem of a garment
• vāsaḥ-antaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsaḥ (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘वाससः अन्तः’ (=वस्त्रान्तः/वस्त्रखण्डः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• śūdrayā: by a Śūdra woman
• śūdrayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-विशेषण (adverb) ‘तथा’ (=likewise)

• asavarṇā: of a different varṇa
• asavarṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asavarṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नञ्-समासान्त/उपसर्गयुक्त विशेषणम्

• sveṣaḥ: one’s own / in one’s own case
• sveṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sveṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पाठभेदसम्भवः (स्वेष/स्वेषु इत्यादि)

• vidhiḥ: rule / injunction
• vidhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• smṛtau: in the Smṛti
• smṛtau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• dṛṣṭaḥ: is seen/attested
• dṛṣṭaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्, धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘दृष्टः’ (=seen/attested)

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

• vedane: in the Veda/vedic teaching
• vedane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘वेदने’ = वेदेषु/वेदवचनेषु इत्यर्थे (पाठ/अर्थ-व्याप्तिः)

Speaker

Parāśara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rāja-dharma scene: a judge-king with śāstra scrolls; symbolic implements (goad for Vaiśya, ‘vāsoṃta’ as a labeled punitive emblem) displayed like legal insignia; scribes recording; the Veda/Smṛti authority shown as two manuscripts on a pedestal.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is presented as regulated by scriptural norms (smṛti/veda), emphasizing accountability and restraint in household society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus remains juridical-ethical instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse continues listing punishments and notes separate rules for inter-varṇa cases per smṛti/veda.