Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

श्रीराम उवाच । न जाने तावकान्विप्रांश्चतुर्दिक्षु समाश्रितान् । न तेषां वेद्म्यहं संख्यां नामगोत्रे द्विजन्मनाम्

Transliteration

śrīrāma uvāca | na jāne tāvakānviprāṃścaturdikṣu samāśritān | na teṣāṃ vedmyahaṃ saṃkhyāṃ nāmagotre dvijanmanām

Translation

শ্রীরাম বললেন—তোমার সেই ব্রাহ্মণদের আমি জানি না, যারা চার দিকেই আশ্রয় নিয়েছে। আমি তাদের সংখ্যা জানি না, দ্বিজদের নাম ও গোত্রও জানি না।

Word by Word

• श्रीरामः: Śrī Rāma
• श्रीरामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीराम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः श्री + राम (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• जाने: I know
• जाने: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तावकान्: your (ones)
• तावकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; स्वामित्ववाचक (your)

• विप्रान्: brāhmaṇas
• विप्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• चतुर्दिक्षु: in the four directions
• चतुर्दिक्षु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः चतुर् (संख्या) + दिश्

• समाश्रितान्: having taken refuge / residing
• समाश्रितान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वेद्मि: I know
• वेद्मि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• संख्याम्: number
• संख्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (समाहार/द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• गोत्रे: lineage (gotra)
• गोत्रे: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born
• द्विजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः द्वि (संख्या) + जन्मन् (जन्म) = द्विजन्मन्

Speaker

Śrī Rāma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Mātā (the Blessed Mother/Devi) or her speaking presence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śrī Rāma, seated in a royal yet austere setting at the edge of a sacred forest, questions the Mother/Devi’s representative about brāhmaṇas dispersed to the four directions; scribes and attendants stand by with palm-leaf records.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Rāma
• vipra (Brāhmaṇas)
• dvija
• gotra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with proper recognition and honoring of the twice-born through knowing their identity, lineage, and rightful place in sacred society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Dharmāraṇya (a sacred forest-region) within the Brāhma Khaṇḍa’s Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse prepares for orderly settlement and support of Brāhmaṇas according to name and gotra.