Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मध्ये मुनीनां सूतोऽयं कस्मान्निंद्योऽनुलोमजः । उच्चासने समध्यास्ते न युक्तमिदमंजसा

Transliteration

madhye munīnāṃ sūto'yaṃ kasmānniṃdyo'nulomajaḥ | uccāsane samadhyāste na yuktamidamaṃjasā

Translation

«Au milieu des sages, pourquoi ce Sūta, né d’un anuloma, serait-il blâmable ? Et pourtant il siège ici sur un haut siège : cela, de toute évidence, n’est pas convenable.»

Word by Word

• मध्ये: in the midst/among
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सप्तमी-अर्थे अव्यय), स्थानवाचक अव्यय; 'in the middle/among'

• मुनीनाम्: of sages
• मुनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• सूतः: a sūta (charioteer-bard caste)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun

• कस्मात्: why
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय-प्रयोग; 'why/from what reason' (कस्मात् इति हेतौ)

• निन्द्यः: blameworthy
• निन्द्यः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nindya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √nind (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, 'to be blamed'

• अनुलोमजः: one born of anuloma (hypergamous) union
• अनुलोमजः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anuloma + ja (प्रातिपदिक); √jan (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अनुलोमात् जातः)

• उच्चासने: on a high seat
• उच्चासने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uccā + āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (उच्चं च तत् आसनम्)

• समध्यास्ते: sits
• समध्यास्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√adhi-ās (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; 'sits/has seated himself'

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (particle of negation)

• युक्तम्: proper
• युक्तम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, 'proper/appropriate'

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun

• अञ्जसा: clearly/indeed
• अञ्जसा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: añjas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तृतीया-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण), 'straightforwardly/clearly/indeed'

Speaker

Rohiṇīsūnu (Balarāma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense sages’ assembly in a forest-āśrama near the Setu: a Sūta sits on an elevated vyāsāsana while a senior brāhmaṇa sage challenges his right to sit and speak; other ṛṣis watch in uneasy silence.

Characters & Entities

• Balarāma
• Sūta
• Munis (sages)
• Anuloma (social category)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse reflects how social hierarchy and assembly protocol were debated in Purāṇic narratives, often as a test of humility and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣāraṇya as the authoritative venue for dharma-discussion and Purāṇic recitation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the focus is on propriety (yukti) and seating/ सम्मान (honor) in a sacred assembly.