Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

स धर्मः सर्ववर्णानां पुरा सृष्टः स्वयम्भुवा । मन्त्रसंस्कारसम्पन्नास्त्रयो वर्णा द्विजातयः

Transliteration

sa dharmaḥ sarvavarṇānāṃ purā sṛṣṭaḥ svayambhuvā | mantrasaṃskārasampannāstrayo varṇā dvijātayaḥ

Translation

Dieses Dharma für alle Varṇas wurde einst von Svayambhū, dem Selbstgeborenen, eingesetzt. Die drei Varṇas, die durch Mantras und sakramentale Weihen (Saṃskāras) vollendet sind, heißen „Zweimalgeborene“ (Dvija).

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (dharma)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• धर्मः: dharma, law/duty
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्ववर्णानाम्: of all varṇas/classes
• सर्ववर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (सर्वे वर्णाः)

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सृष्टः: created
• सृष्टः: Karma (Predicate participle related to subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (सृज् धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘created’ (past passive participle)

• स्वयम्भुवा: by Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयम्भुवा: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayambhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (Brahmā)

• मन्त्रसंस्कारसम्पन्नाः: endowed with mantra-initiations/rites
• मन्त्रसंस्कारसम्पन्नाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mantra + saṃskāra + sampanna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रसंस्कारैः सम्पन्नाः = endowed with mantra-rites)

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral)

• वर्णाः: varṇas/classes
• वर्णाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• द्विजातयः: twice-born (dvijas)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi + jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (द्विः जाताः = twice-born)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-māhātmya setting

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: Svayambhū (Brahmā) establishing dharma; three dvija varṇas shown receiving upanayana and Vedic mantras, with Revā’s flowing presence as a sanctifying backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Svayambhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is presented as an ancient cosmic order established by the Creator, with specific ritual-eligibilities defining certain traditional categories.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is explicitly named in this verse; it functions as doctrinal framing within the Revā Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references mantra and saṃskāra as defining features for the ‘twice-born’ (dvija) groups, rather than prescribing a particular rite.