Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

वेदवेदांगतत्त्वज्ञः परसैन्यविदारणः । चतुरोऽप्याश्रमान्वर्णान्धर्मतः परिपालयन्

Transliteration

vedavedāṃgatattvajñaḥ parasainyavidāraṇaḥ | caturo'pyāśramānvarṇāndharmataḥ paripālayan

Translation

Il connaissait la vraie portée des Veda et des Vedāṅga, brisait les armées ennemies et, selon le dharma, protégeait les quatre āśrama ainsi que les varṇa.

Word by Word

• वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वज्ञः: knower of the essence of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-वेदाङ्ग-तत्त्व-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to king); समासः—वेदवेदाङ्गयोः तत्त्वं जानाति (बहु-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-श्रृंखला)

• परसैन्यविदारणः: destroyer of enemy armies
• परसैन्यविदारणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर-सैन्य-विदारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—परस्य सैन्यस्य विदारणः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to ‘आश्रमान्’)

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

• आश्रमान्: the (four) āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वर्णान्: the (four) varṇas (social classes)
• वर्णान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• धर्मतः: righteously / according to dharma
• धर्मतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धर्मतः (अव्यय; धर्म + तस्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘according to dharma’

• परिपालयन्: protecting / governing
• परिपालयन्: Kriya (Participial action/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-पाल् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(he) governing/protecting’

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Portrait of the king as scholar-warrior: one side shows him consulting Vedic texts with brāhmaṇas; another shows him leading troops, yet with dharmic restraint; symbolic depiction of four āśramas/varṇas under his protection.

Characters & Entities

• King Śaṅkara (implied)
• Veda
• Vedāṅga
• Āśramas
• Varṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma thrives when rulers uphold Vedic wisdom and protect the social and spiritual disciplines (āśrama/varṇa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Setu–Rāmeśvara context frames the narrative, though this verse focuses on rajadharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintenance of āśrama-dharma and varṇa-dharma—structured religious and social duties—through righteous governance.