Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्गोत्रोद्भवा विप्रा धनधान्यसमन्विताः । सामर्षा लौल्यहीनाश्च द्वेषिणः कुटिलास्तथा

Transliteration

asmingotrodbhavā viprā dhanadhānyasamanvitāḥ | sāmarṣā laulyahīnāśca dveṣiṇaḥ kuṭilāstathā

Translation

Brāhmaṇas born in this gotra are endowed with wealth and abundant grain. Quick to resentment and free from fickleness, they are nonetheless hateful and crooked in their conduct.

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• गोत्रोद्भवाः: born of (this) gotra/lineage
• गोत्रोद्भवाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोत्रस्य उद्भवाः = born of a lineage)

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• धनधान्यसमन्विताः: endowed with wealth and grain
• धनधान्यसमन्विताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्+अन्वि/अन्वि धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः (धन-धान्येन समन्विताः = endowed with wealth and grain)

• सामर्षाः: prone to anger/resentment
• सामर्षाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सामर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• लौल्यहीनाः: free from fickleness
• लौल्यहीनाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लौल्यम् (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः (लौल्यात् हीनाः = free from fickleness)

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

• द्वेषिणः: hateful/hostile
• द्वेषिणः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वेषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• कुटिलाः: crooked/deceitful
• कुटिलाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुटिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (adverb: likewise/also)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice addressing a king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpottama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator addresses a king, describing a local brāhmaṇa group: prosperous households with granaries, yet faces showing pride, resentment, and secretive crookedness—an instructive, documentary tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material prosperity does not guarantee purity of character; dharma requires inner rectitude beyond resources.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya context remains, but this verse is a moral-character profile rather than a tirtha eulogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse evaluates dispositions and social qualities.