Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणेभ्यः कुलीनेभ्यो वेदविद्भ्यो विशेषतः । श्रोत्रियेभ्यश्च दांतेभ्यः स तु श्रद्धासमन्वितः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇebhyaḥ kulīnebhyo vedavidbhyo viśeṣataḥ | śrotriyebhyaśca dāṃtebhyaḥ sa tu śraddhāsamanvitaḥ

Translation

Doué de foi, il donna tout particulièrement aux brāhmanes—de noble lignée et savants des Veda—ainsi qu’aux śrotriya et aux hommes maîtres d’eux-mêmes.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; दान-प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी (to)

• कुलीनेभ्यः: to the noble-born
• कुलीनेभ्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्राह्मणेभ्यः)

• वेदविद्भ्यः: to the knowers of the Veda
• वेदविद्भ्यः: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘वेदं वेत्ति’ इति; दानार्थे चतुर्थी

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (especially)

• श्रोत्रियेभ्यः: to learned Vedic scholars (śrotriyas)
• श्रोत्रियेभ्यः: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; दानार्थे चतुर्थी

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

• दांतेभ्यः: to the self-controlled
• दांतेभ्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्राह्मणेभ्यः आदि)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अनुवाद (but/indeed)

• श्रद्धासमन्वितः: endowed with faith
• श्रद्धासमन्वितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा + समन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘श्रद्धया समन्वितः’ इति; विशेषणम् (सः)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style narration within Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional gifting scene: the king, hands joined then extending gifts, offers gold and valuables to calm, self-restrained brāhmaṇas—Veda-knowers with sacred threads—seated in orderly rows, receiving with blessings.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Śrotriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity bears highest fruit when offered with śraddhā to the learned and disciplined who sustain Vedic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to a pilgrimage-glorification context (Tīrthamāhātmya) but does not name the site in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna to qualified recipients—Veda-knowers, śrotriyas, and the self-controlled—performed with faith.