Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वैश्यधर्मो न सन्देहः कृषिगोरक्षणे रतः । सत्यशौचसमोपेतो गच्छते स्वर्गमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

vaiśyadharmo na sandehaḥ kṛṣigorakṣaṇe rataḥ | satyaśaucasamopeto gacchate svargamuttamam

Translation

Die Pflicht des Vaiśya ist ohne Zweifel Hingabe an Ackerbau und Schutz der Kühe; mit Wahrhaftigkeit und Reinheit gelangt er in den höchsten Himmel.

Word by Word

• वैश्यधर्मः: the duty of a Vaishya
• वैश्यधर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वैश्यस्य धर्मः)

• न: no/not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• सन्देहः: doubt
• सन्देहः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृषि: in agriculture
• कृषि: Adhikarana (Locative within compound sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (समास-पूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• गोरक्षणे: in the protection of cows
• गोरक्षणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गवां रक्षणे)

• रतः: engaged/devoted
• रतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (प्रातिपदिक; √रम् क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (to implied vaiśya)

• सत्यशौचसमोपेतः: endowed with truthfulness and purity
• सत्यशौचसमोपेतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य + शौच + समुपेत (प्रातिपदिक; सम्-उप-इ √इ क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; (सत्येन शौचेन च समुपेतः)

• गच्छते: goes
• गच्छते: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Goal/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: highest/excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to स्वर्गम्)

Speaker

Unknown (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic teacher addressing a listener within the Revā-māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A farmer tends fields near a river, while a herd of cows is sheltered under a banyan; the man offers water and fodder with a clean, composed demeanor; a small shrine by the ghat anchors the sacred setting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady adherence to one’s rightful duty, supported by truth and purity, becomes a direct cause of spiritual merit and higher destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is primarily dharma-instructional; it sits within the Revā Khaṇḍa context (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography) rather than naming a single tirtha in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes ethical observances (satya, śauca) and livelihood-duty (kṛṣi, go-rakṣaṇa).