Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एष चांडालजो वापि शूद्रजो वैश्यजोपि वा । विप्रात्मजो वा नृपजो ज्ञायते कथमर्भकः

Transliteration

eṣa cāṃḍālajo vāpi śūdrajo vaiśyajopi vā | viprātmajo vā nṛpajo jñāyate kathamarbhakaḥ

Translation

„Dieses kleine Kind — ist es etwa von einem Caṇḍāla geboren, oder von einem Śūdra, einem Vaiśya, einem Brāhmaṇa, ja sogar von einem König? Wie ließe sich die Herkunft des Kindes erkennen?“

Word by Word

• एषः: this (boy)
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चाण्डाल-जः: born of a caṇḍāla
• चाण्डाल-जः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (born of a caṇḍāla)

• वा: or
• वा: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• अपि: also
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• शूद्र-जः: born of a śūdra
• शूद्र-जः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (born of a śūdra)

• वैश्य-जः: born of a vaiśya
• वैश्य-जः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (born of a vaiśya)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय

• वा: or
• वा: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• विप्र-आत्म-जः: born of a brāhmaṇa
• विप्र-आत्म-जः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (born of a brāhmaṇa)

• वा: or
• वा: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• नृप-जः: born of a king
• नृप-जः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (born of a king)

• ज्ञायते: is known
• ज्ञायते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (is known/ascertained)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

• अर्भकः: infant/child
• अर्भकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्भक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Vipravanitā (a brāhmaṇa lady), inferred from nearby verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The lady looks at the infant, mentally listing possible lineages—caṇḍāla, śūdra, vaiśya, brāhmaṇa, or royal—her expression thoughtful, conflicted.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When identity is uncertain, dharma prioritizes compassion and protection over social speculation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it frames a moral hesitation regarding contact and acceptance.