Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मचारी स्याद्ग्रहस्थस्तदनंतरम् । वानप्रस्थो यतिश्चैव तत श्चैव कुटीचरः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇo brahmacārī syādgrahasthastadanaṃtaram | vānaprastho yatiścaiva tata ścaiva kuṭīcaraḥ

Translation

ينبغي للبراهمن أن يكون أولًا براهمتشاريًّا؛ ثم بعد ذلك ربَّ بيتٍ (غرهستها). ثم (قد يكون) ساكنَ الغابة (فانابراستها) وزاهدًا ناسكًا (يتي)، وبعد ذلك حقًّا كُتيچارا، من يعتزل في كوخٍ صغير.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मचारी: a celibate student (brahmacārin)
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आश्रमवाचक

• स्यात्: should be/may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गृहस्थः: householder
• गृहस्थः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आश्रमवाचक

• तत्: then
• तत्: Krama (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे/क्रमवाचक-प्रयोग (sequencing particle: 'then')

• अनन्तरम्: afterwards/next
• अनन्तरम्: Kala/Krama (Time/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial accusative: 'after that/next')

• वानप्रस्थः: forest-dweller (vānaprastha)
• वानप्रस्थः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन + प्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आश्रमवाचक

• यतिः: ascetic
• यतिः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Krama (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (from that/then)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• कुटीचरः: one who lives in a hut (kuṭīcara)
• कुटीचरः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटी + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Durvāsā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau showing the four (and extended) āśrama progression: student with staff, householder with sacred fire, forest-dweller with bark garments, renunciant with daṇḍa/kamaṇḍalu, and the kuṭīcara living quietly in a hut.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• brahmacarya
• gṛhastha
• vānaprastha
• yati
• kuṭīcara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is lived as a progressive discipline—education, responsibility, withdrawal, and renunciation—each preparing the mind for liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular sacred site is mentioned in this verse; it outlines a dharmic life-structure within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is normative conduct (āśrama-dharma) rather than a single ritual act.