Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

सर्वे वर्णास्तथाभूता जैन धर्मसमाश्रिताः । ब्राह्मणा नैव पूज्यंते न च शांतिकपौष्टिकम्

Transliteration

sarve varṇāstathābhūtā jaina dharmasamāśritāḥ | brāhmaṇā naiva pūjyaṃte na ca śāṃtikapauṣṭikam

Translation

So wurden alle Stände und sozialen Ordnungen Anhänger des jainischen Pfades. Brahmanen wurden nicht mehr geehrt, und Riten für Frieden und Gedeihen wurden nicht vollzogen.

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• वर्णाः: social classes/varṇas
• वर्णाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (subject)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय; adverb ‘thus/so’

• अभूताः: became
• अभूताः: Kriya (State change/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → अभूत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; used as finite sense ‘became’

• जैन: Jain
• जैन: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जैन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; adjective qualifying (वर्णाः)

• धर्मसमाश्रिताः: having taken refuge in the (Jain) dharma
• धर्मसमाश्रिताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-समाश्रित (प्रातिपदिक; सम्-आ-श्रि धातु → आश्रित)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having resorted to dharma’

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (topic/subject)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय; negation particle

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय; emphatic particle

• पूज्यन्ते: are worshipped
• पूज्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग ‘are worshipped’

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; conjunction

• शांतिकपौष्टिकम्: propitiatory and prosperity rites
• शांतिकपौष्टिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्तिक-पौष्टिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; dvandva used collectively ‘śāntika and pauṣṭika rites’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vatsa-addressed interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A city scene of ritual silence: abandoned fire-altars, no auspicious rites, brāhmaṇas standing unhonored at the margins while the populace follows a different religious order; an atmosphere of spiritual drought.

Characters & Entities

• Varṇas
• Jaina dharma
• Brāhmaṇas
• Śāntika rites
• Pauṣṭika rites

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When society abandons Vedic ritual balance (śānti and puṣṭi), harmony and prosperity are portrayed as diminishing along with respect for dharma-bearers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Dharmāraṇya account, emphasizing how a sacred region’s religious ecology can change under governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śāntika (peace) and pauṣṭika (prosperity) rites are mentioned as no longer being done.