Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मचारी स्याद्ग्रहस्थस्तदनंतरम् । वानप्रस्थो यतिश्चैव तत श्चैव कुटीचरः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇo brahmacārī syādgrahasthastadanaṃtaram | vānaprastho yatiścaiva tata ścaiva kuṭīcaraḥ

Translation

Un brāhmaṇa doit d’abord être brahmacārin ; ensuite, devenir maître de maison. Puis (il peut être) vānaprastha, habitant de la forêt, et yati, renonçant ; et après cela, assurément, kuṭīcara, celui qui vit retiré dans une hutte.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मचारी: a celibate student (brahmacārin)
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आश्रमवाचक

• स्यात्: should be/may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गृहस्थः: householder
• गृहस्थः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आश्रमवाचक

• तत्: then
• तत्: Krama (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे/क्रमवाचक-प्रयोग (sequencing particle: 'then')

• अनन्तरम्: afterwards/next
• अनन्तरम्: Kala/Krama (Time/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial accusative: 'after that/next')

• वानप्रस्थः: forest-dweller (vānaprastha)
• वानप्रस्थः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन + प्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आश्रमवाचक

• यतिः: ascetic
• यतिः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Krama (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (from that/then)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• कुटीचरः: one who lives in a hut (kuṭīcara)
• कुटीचरः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटी + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Durvāsā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau showing the four (and extended) āśrama progression: student with staff, householder with sacred fire, forest-dweller with bark garments, renunciant with daṇḍa/kamaṇḍalu, and the kuṭīcara living quietly in a hut.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• brahmacarya
• gṛhastha
• vānaprastha
• yati
• kuṭīcara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is lived as a progressive discipline—education, responsibility, withdrawal, and renunciation—each preparing the mind for liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular sacred site is mentioned in this verse; it outlines a dharmic life-structure within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is normative conduct (āśrama-dharma) rather than a single ritual act.