Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

ये वा वर्णाश्रमाचारक्रियालोपा ह्यसंस्कृताः । विपन्नास्ते भवंत्यत्र संमार्जनजलाशिनः

Transliteration

ye vā varṇāśramācārakriyālopā hyasaṃskṛtāḥ | vipannāste bhavaṃtyatra saṃmārjanajalāśinaḥ

Translation

Wer die vorgeschriebenen Pflichten und Riten von Varṇa und Āśrama aufgibt und ohne die rechten Saṃskāras ungeschliffen bleibt—wenn er vom Pfad abfällt, wird er hier zu einem Wesen, das vom Wasser lebt, das beim Reinigen und Fegen verwendet wurde.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or/indeed’)

• वर्णाश्रमाचारक्रियालोपाः: those having lapse of the rites of varṇa-āśrama conduct
• वर्णाश्रमाचारक्रियालोपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण + आश्रम + आचार + क्रिया + लोप (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः (वर्णाश्रम-आचार-क्रियाणां लोपाः)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• असंस्कृताः: uncultured/unsanctified
• असंस्कृताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संस्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (past participle)

• विपन्नाः: fallen/ruined
• विपन्नाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + पन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पद्/√पत् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• भवन्ति: become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संमार्जनजलाशिनः: eaters of the water used for washing/cleaning
• संमार्जनजलाशिनः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमार्जन + जल + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (संमार्जन-जलम् अश्नन्ति इति)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic teacher addressing a royal interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fallen ritualist, bereft of saṁskāra, appears as a gaunt preta-like being near a swept courtyard, lapping up the water used for cleansing; in the background, disciplined householders perform orderly rites.

Characters & Entities

• Varṇāśrama
• Saṃskāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of dharmic disciplines and saṃskāras leads to spiritual and existential decline, portrayed through a stark karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the sacred setting; the verse supports its moral-ritual framework rather than naming a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It warns against omission of varṇāśrama-ācāra and kriyā (prescribed rites and saṃskāras).