Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वेदोच्चारणमात्रेण क्षत्रियैर्धर्मपालकैः । जिह्वाछेदोऽस्य कर्तव्यः शूद्रस्येति विनिश्चयः

Transliteration

vedoccāraṇamātreṇa kṣatriyairdharmapālakaiḥ | jihvāchedo'sya kartavyaḥ śūdrasyeti viniścayaḥ

Translation

Si un śūdra ne fait que réciter le Veda, alors les kṣatriyas—protecteurs du dharma—doivent lui trancher la langue ; telle est la décision arrêtée.

Word by Word

• वेदोच्चारणमात्रेण: by mere recitation of the Veda
• वेदोच्चारणमात्रेण: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + उच्चारण + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य उच्चारणम्) + तत्पुरुष (उच्चारणस्य मात्रम्)

• क्षत्रियैः: by Kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• धर्मपालकैः: (who are) protectors of dharma
• धर्मपालकैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + पालक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य पालकाः)

• जिह्वाछेदः: cutting of the tongue
• जिह्वाछेदः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा + छेद (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जिह्वायाः छेदः)

• अस्य: of him / his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कर्तव्यः: must be done
• कर्तव्यः: Kriya (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• शूद्रस्य: of a Śūdra
• शूद्रस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• विनिश्चयः: the determination/decision
• विनिश्चयः: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि-निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Revā Khaṇḍa narrative instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark didactic tableau: kṣatriya ‘dharma-protectors’ are invoked as enforcers; the sage’s words carry the weight of daṇḍanīti. Depict symbolically (authority and restraint) rather than literal violence.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Kṣatriya
• Dharma
• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It portrays dharma as guarded by social-ritual boundaries and frames transgression of Vedic adhikāra as severely punishable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is directly named in this verse; it appears within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader tīrtha-centered discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition against Veda-utterance by those deemed ineligible, coupled with a stated punitive enforcement by dharma-protecting rulers.