Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

साधवश्च सदाचारा विष्णुभक्तिपरायणाः । स्नानसंध्यापरा नित्यं ब्रह्मभोज्यपरायणाः

Transliteration

sādhavaśca sadācārā viṣṇubhaktiparāyaṇāḥ | snānasaṃdhyāparā nityaṃ brahmabhojyaparāyaṇāḥ

Translation

Sie sind rechtschaffen und von guter Lebensführung, vor allem der Viṣṇu-bhakti hingegeben; stets dem rituellen Bad und den Sandhyā-Riten zugetan und standhaft darin, Brahmanen mit gebührender Speise zu ehren.

Word by Word

• साधवः: good men / the virtuous
• साधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• सदाचाराः: of good conduct
• सदाचाराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सद्-आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सत् आचारः येषाम्/सदाचारः)

• विष्णुभक्तिपरायणाः: devoted to Viṣṇu-bhakti
• विष्णुभक्तिपरायणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु-भक्ति-परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः भक्तौ परायणाः)

• स्नान: bathing
• स्नान: Samahara (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• संध्या: twilight prayer (sandhyā)
• संध्या: Samahara (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• पराः: devoted/intent upon
• पराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (समासोत्तरपद-रूपेण)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• ब्रह्मभोज्यपरायणाः: devoted to feeding Brahmins / offerings fit for Brahmins
• ब्रह्मभोज्यपरायणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म-भोज्य-परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मभोज्ये परायणाः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic teacher addressing a king; exact speaker not in snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpottama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a riverbank at dawn, brāhmaṇas perform snāna and sandhyā with arghya to the sun; later, a simple but reverent brāhmaṇa-bhojana is served, with Viṣṇu’s presence implied through symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) or a small shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Sandhyā
• Snāna
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is validated by daily discipline—purificatory bathing, sandhyā worship, and respectful service to brāhmaṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is implied as a place where such dharma thrives; no single tīrtha is singled out in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular snāna (bathing), sandhyā rites, and brahmabhojya (feeding/hosting brāhmaṇas).