Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

स्वधर्मनिरतानां च वेदयज्ञक्रियावताम् । ब्रह्मचारी चरेद्भैक्ष्यं वेश्मसुप्रयतोऽन्वहम्

Transliteration

svadharmaniratānāṃ ca vedayajñakriyāvatām | brahmacārī caredbhaikṣyaṃ veśmasuprayato'nvaham

Translation

Der Brahmacārin soll täglich, mit rechter Zügelung, auf Almosengang gehen, zu den Häusern derer, die in ihrem eigenen Dharma standhaft sind und sich dem Veda-Studium und den Yajña-Handlungen widmen.

Word by Word

• स्वधर्मनिरतानाम्: of those devoted to their own duty
• स्वधर्मनिरतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुवचन, षष्ठी; पुं/नपुंसक-समासान्त-रूप (genitive plural: of those devoted to their own dharma)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय: conjunction)

• वेदयज्ञक्रियावताम्: of those engaged in Vedic sacrificial rites
• वेदयज्ञक्रियावताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: बहुवचन, षष्ठी; ‘वेद-यज्ञ-क्रिया’ यासां/येषां सन्ति ते (possessing Vedic sacrificial rites)

• ब्रह्मचारी: the brahmacārin
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चरेत्: should practice / should go about
• चरेत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (should practice/go)

• भैक्ष्यम्: alms-begging (alms)
• भैक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वेश्मसु: in houses
• वेश्मसु: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• प्रयतः: self-controlled
• प्रयतः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (well-restrained, diligent)

• अन्वहम्: daily
• अन्वहम्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्वहम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक: every day)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained brahmacārin with staff and water-pot stands at a doorway, eyes lowered, receiving a small portion of food from a householder couple; in the background, a yajña altar and Vedic recitation indicate the household’s dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacārī
• Veda
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Student life is sustained by humility and discipline, and society supports learning through righteous household giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred field where dharma and Vedic living are upheld.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily bhikṣā (alms-round) performed with restraint, directed toward dharmic, Veda- and yajña-observant households.