Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 96
Devanagari script
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः । स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते
Transliteration
yadyadācarati śreṣṭhastattadevetaro janaḥ | sa yatpramāṇaṃ kurute lokastadanuvartate
Translation
શ્રેષ્ઠ પુરુષ જે જે આચરે છે તે જ બીજા લોકો કરે છે; તે જે પ્રમાણ સ્થાપે છે, જગત તેનું અનુસરણ કરે છે.
Word by Word
yatwhatever (that which)
yat:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; यद्-तद् सम्बन्ध (correlative)
yatwhatever
yat:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)
ācaratipractises, does
ācarati:
Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootā-√car (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
śreṣṭhaḥthe best person; leader
śreṣṭhaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
tatthat
tat:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative)
tatthat (same)
tat:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति
evaindeed
eva:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formनिपात; अवधारण (only/indeed)
itaraḥthe other (common)
itaraḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootitara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (विशेषणार्थे)
janaḥperson; people (as a class)
janaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootjana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
yatwhich
yat:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
pramāṇamstandard; authority
pramāṇam:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
kurutemakes, sets up
kurute:
Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
lokaḥthe world; people
lokaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootloka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
tatthat
tat:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
anuvartatefollows
anuvartate:
Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootanu-√vṛt (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
Speaker
Nakula (contextual continuation)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A luminous ‘best person’ walks a path; behind, a line of people mirror each step. The leader sets a measuring rod/standard (pramāṇa) that becomes a visible guideline across the landscape.
Characters & Entities
Ś
Śreṣṭha (the exemplary person)L
Loka (the world)FAQs
Leaders and the virtuous must live dharma publicly, because society imitates their conduct and standards.
No; the verse is a universal dharma principle rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya passage.
None; it prescribes exemplary behavior as a social-spiritual duty.