Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

विप्रानुकीर्तिता याश्च वृत्तिः सापि विभज्यते । प्रथमा लभ्यमाना च वृत्तिर्वै यावती पुनः

Transliteration

viprānukīrtitā yāśca vṛttiḥ sāpi vibhajyate | prathamā labhyamānā ca vṛttirvai yāvatī punaḥ

Translation

Et le moyen de subsistance (vṛtti) enseigné par les brāhmanes doit aussi être réparti. La première part est le revenu tel qu’il est obtenu, quelle qu’en soit l’étendue.

Word by Word

• विप्र: of the Brahmins
• विप्र: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• अनुकीर्तिता: described
• अनुकीर्तिता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु+कीर्त् (धातु) → अनुकीर्तित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—अनुकीर्तिता (described/recited)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय (and)

• वृत्तिः: means of livelihood/maintenance
• वृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (also/even)

• विभज्यते: is divided/distributed
• विभज्यते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is divided)

• प्रथमा: the first
• प्रथमा: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—प्रथम (first)

• लभ्यमाना: being obtained
• लभ्यमाना: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लभ्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—प्राप्यमाणा (being obtained)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय

• वृत्तिः: maintenance
• वृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (indeed)

• यावती: as much as
• यावती: Visheshana (Measure-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (as much as)

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Kāla/Prakāra (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—पुनरुक्ति/कालवाचक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder sits with measured grain and coins, dividing them into portions: one for daily sustenance, one for deity worship, one for guests/charity; a brāhmaṇa advisor gestures to the correct apportionment.

Characters & Entities

• vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earnings are not merely personal; dharma requires mindful allocation of livelihood toward ordained responsibilities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a general dharma guideline within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An instruction to divide/apportion one’s vṛtti (income/livelihood) according to established dharma guidance.