Shloka 14
Skanda–Mātṛgaṇa-janma: Kumārakāḥ, Kanyāgaṇāḥ, and the Vīrāṣṭaka (स्कन्द-मातृगण-सम्भवः)
Devanagari script
यस्तु शूद्रो दमे सत्ये धर्मे च सततोत्थित:
Transliteration
yastu śūdro dame satye dharme ca satatotthitaḥ
Translation
The brāhmaṇa said: “But that śūdra who is ever steadfast in self-restraint, truthfulness, and righteousness…”
Word by Word
यःwho
यः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
शूद्रःa Shudra
शूद्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
दमेin self-control
दमे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootदम (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
सत्येin truthfulness
सत्ये:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
धर्मेin righteousness/duty
धर्मे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
सततalways/constantly
सतत:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसतत (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
उत्थितःsteadfast/ever-engaged (lit. risen/active)
उत्थितः:
TypeAdjective
Rootउत्-स्था (धातु) → उत्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Characters & Entities
ब
ब्राह्मण (speaker)श
शूद्रCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical qualities—self-control (dama), truth (satya), and dharma—as decisive markers of worth. It implies that steadfast moral conduct can define a person’s excellence beyond mere birth-based identity.
A brāhmaṇa is speaking in a didactic context, introducing a statement about a śūdra who consistently practices restraint, truthfulness, and righteousness—setting up a moral evaluation that continues in the subsequent verse(s).