Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

गुणेन संहिता आसन् षट्कर्मनिरताश्च ये । एवंविधा महाभागा नानादेशभवा द्विजाः

Transliteration

guṇena saṃhitā āsan ṣaṭkarmaniratāśca ye | evaṃvidhā mahābhāgā nānādeśabhavā dvijāḥ

Translation

Ils étaient parés de vertus et adonnés aux six devoirs; de tels deux-fois-nés, fortunés et de cette trempe, naquirent de maintes contrées.

Word by Word

• गुणेन: by virtue/quality
• गुणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संहिताः: united/combined
• संहिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√dhā (धातु) + ta (क्त, कृदन्त) / saṃhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘द्विजाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्, धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• षट्कर्मनिरताः: engaged in the six duties
• षट्कर्मनिरताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ + karma + nirata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षट्कर्मसु निरताः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

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

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (relative pronoun)

• एवंविधाः: of such a kind
• एवंविधाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: evaṃ + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (एवंविध = ‘एवं प्रकारः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• महाभागाः: very fortunate/noble
• महाभागाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्य/महाभाग), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययवत् विशेषण

• देशभवाः: originating from different regions
• देशभवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deśa + bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (देशेभ्यः भवाः/देशे भवा), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• द्विजाः: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator addressing a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like depiction: virtuous brāhmaṇas from different regions, each engaged in one of the six duties—teaching, studying, offering sacrifice, officiating, giving, receiving—united by calm discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Ṣaṭkarma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained by character (guṇa) and disciplined performance of one’s prescribed sacred duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on dharmic qualifications of dvijas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Commitment to ṣaṭkarma: adhyayana, adhyāpana, yajana, yājana, dāna, pratigraha.