Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

धर्मस्तेषां वृथा सद्भिस्तत्त्वज्ञैः परिकीर्तितः । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां व्रतचर्या महाफलम्

Transliteration

dharmasteṣāṃ vṛthā sadbhistattvajñaiḥ parikīrtitaḥ | sarveṣāmeva varṇānāṃ vratacaryā mahāphalam

Translation

For them, dharma is declared “in vain” by the good and by the knowers of truth. For all varṇas indeed, the practice of vows bears great fruit.

Word by Word

• धर्मः: dharma/religious merit
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (सम्बन्ध)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अव्यय-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in vain)

• सद्भिः: by the good (people)
• सद्भिः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तत्त्व-ज्ञैः: by knowers of truth
• तत्त्व-ज्ञैः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (कृदन्त, √ज्ञा धातु; क्तिन्/णिनि-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘तत्त्वं जानन्ति’ इति उपपद-तत्पुरुषः

• परि-कीर्तितः: is proclaimed
• परि-कीर्तितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP) — ‘proclaimed’

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (सम्बन्ध)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• वर्णानाम्: of social classes (varṇas)
• वर्णानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• व्रत-चर्या: practice of vows
• व्रत-चर्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘व्रतस्य चर्या’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• महा-फलम्: (is) of great fruit
• महा-फलम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महत् फलम्’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of ‘sat’ and ‘tattvajña’ elders instructing householders of different varṇas, pointing to a vrata calendar and a lamp before Viṣṇu—emphasizing universality of vow-practice.

Characters & Entities

• varṇa
• dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma must be lived as disciplined observance; vrata-practice is affirmed as universally beneficial, not restricted to a single varṇa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse; it provides a normative dharma statement within the tīrtha-mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vratacaryā—undertaking and maintaining vows/observances—is prescribed as highly meritorious.