Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

द्विजमेलापकं चक्रुर्बाला वृद्धतमा अपि । तेषां वृद्धतमो विप्रो वाक्यमूचे शुभं तदा

Transliteration

dvijamelāpakaṃ cakrurbālā vṛddhatamā api | teṣāṃ vṛddhatamo vipro vākyamūce śubhaṃ tadā

Translation

Sie beriefen eine Versammlung der Brāhmaṇas ein, der Jungen wie auch der Hochbetagten. Da sprach der älteste Brāhmaṇa unter ihnen Worte von gutem Vorzeichen.

Word by Word

• द्विजमेलापकम्: an assembly/meeting of twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजमेलापकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-मेलापक (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + मेलापक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे नपुंसक-रूपम्); द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• चक्रुः: they held/made
• चक्रुः: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु; √कृ)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• बालाः: the young ones
• बालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• वृद्धतमाः: the very oldest
• वृद्धतमाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्धतम (प्रातिपदिक; वृद्ध + तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; अतिशय (superlative); विशेषण (co-referential with बालाः: even the very old)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Inclusion/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even/also)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); बहुवचन

• वृद्धतमः: the oldest
• वृद्धतमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्धतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; अतिशय (superlative)

• विप्रः: the brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: a statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ऊचे: said
• ऊचे: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु; √वच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (उवाच/ऊचे-प्रयोग)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वाक्यम्)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb: then)

Speaker

Narrator (introducing the elder brāhmaṇa as next speaker)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal assembly of brāhmaṇas—young students and very old sages—seated in rows; the eldest rises or speaks with calm authority; listeners attentive, hands in añjali.

Characters & Entities

• dvija
• vipra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved through collective counsel and respect for the wisdom of elders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it sets up the counsel that leads toward Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it describes convening a dharmic council.