Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ऋषभ उवाच । श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणेषु प्रोक्तो धर्मः सनातनः । वर्णाश्रमानुरूपेण निषेव्यः सर्वदा जनैः

Transliteration

ṛṣabha uvāca | śrutismṛtipurāṇeṣu prokto dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ | varṇāśramānurūpeṇa niṣevyaḥ sarvadā janaiḥ

Translation

ऋषभ बोले— “श्रुति, स्मृति और पुराणों में सनातन धर्म कहा गया है। वर्ण और आश्रम के अनुरूप उसका आचरण लोगों को सदा करना चाहिए।”

Word by Word

• ऋषभः: Ṛṣabha
• ऋषभः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• श्रुति-स्मृति-पुराणेषु: in the Śrutis, Smṛtis, and Purāṇas
• श्रुति-स्मृति-पुराणेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (in the Śruti, Smṛti and Purāṇas)

• प्रोक्तः: declared
• प्रोक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of धर्मः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र√वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; (declared)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सनातनः: eternal
• सनातनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of धर्मः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• वर्ण-आश्रमानुरूपेण: according to (one’s) varṇa and āśrama
• वर्ण-आश्रमानुरूपेण: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (instrumental-form used adverbially); (according to varṇa and āśrama)

• निषेव्यः: should be practiced
• निषेव्यः: Kriyā (Obligatory predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√सेव् (धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; (to be practiced/served)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• जनैः: by people
• जनैः: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/obligation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣabha (Śivayogin)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṛṣabha speaks in a teaching posture, perhaps seated among listeners; the scene conveys scriptural authority—palm-leaf manuscripts, attentive disciples, and a calm didactic atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣabha
• Śruti
• Smṛti
• Purāṇa
• Sanātana Dharma
• Varṇāśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is timeless and scripturally grounded; it is to be lived consistently in ways suited to one’s duties and stage of life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse is doctrinal, establishing the authority and universality of dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual; it prescribes continual practice of dharma according to varṇāśrama responsibilities.