Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

उभौ सवयसौ बालौ समवेषौ समस्थिती । समं च कृतसंस्कारौ सम विद्यौ बभूवतुः

Transliteration

ubhau savayasau bālau samaveṣau samasthitī | samaṃ ca kṛtasaṃskārau sama vidyau babhūvatuḥ

Translation

„Beide waren Knaben gleichen Alters, gleich in Gewand und Haltung; ihre Saṃskāras wurden gleichermaßen vollzogen, und auch im Wissen wurden sie einander ebenbürtig.“

Word by Word

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• स-वयसौ: of the same age
• स-वयसौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/उपपद (समानं वयः यस्य)

• बालौ: young boys
• बालौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (उभौ)

• सम-वेषौ: similarly dressed
• सम-वेषौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम + वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (समः वेषः यस्य)

• सम-स्थिती: of similar bearing/condition
• सम-स्थिती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (समं स्थितिः यस्य)

• समम्: equally
• समम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कृत-संस्कारौ: having undergone the rites/initiations
• कृत-संस्कारौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)→कृत + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कृताः संस्काराः ययोः)

• सम: equally
• सम: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb), (समम् इत्यर्थे)

• विद्यौ: their learnings/knowledge (twofold)
• विद्यौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• बभूवतुः: became / were
• बभूवतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), द्विवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two boys, Sumedhā and Somavān, dressed alike, seated side-by-side in a gurukula, reciting from palm-leaf texts; the teacher watches approvingly; ritual thread and water pot indicate completed saṃskāras.

Characters & Entities

• Sumedhā
• Somavān

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper saṃskāras and disciplined education form the foundation for later dharma, vows, and spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the verse describes formative upbringing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃskāras are referenced generally (rites of refinement), without specifying a particular ritual procedure.