Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38
एष चांडालजो वापि शूद्रजो वैश्यजोपि वा । विप्रात्मजो वा नृपजो ज्ञायते कथमर्भकः
eṣa cāṃḍālajo vāpi śūdrajo vaiśyajopi vā | viprātmajo vā nṛpajo jñāyate kathamarbhakaḥ
“This little child—could he be born of a caṇḍāla, or of a śūdra, or a vaiśya, or a brāhmaṇa, or even of a king? How can one know the child’s lineage?”
Vipravanitā (a brāhmaṇa lady), inferred from nearby verses
Scene: The lady looks at the infant, mentally listing possible lineages—caṇḍāla, śūdra, vaiśya, brāhmaṇa, or royal—her expression thoughtful, conflicted.
FAQs
When identity is uncertain, dharma prioritizes compassion and protection over social speculation.
No specific sacred site is mentioned in this verse.
None explicitly; it frames a moral hesitation regarding contact and acceptance.