Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

तेषां शुश्रूषणार्थाय वैश्यान्रामो न्यवे दयत् । षट्त्रिंशच्च सहस्राणि शूद्रास्तेभ्यश्चतुर्गुणान्

Transliteration

teṣāṃ śuśrūṣaṇārthāya vaiśyānrāmo nyave dayat | ṣaṭtriṃśacca sahasrāṇi śūdrāstebhyaścaturguṇān

Translation

Demi pelayanan dan penopang hidup mereka, Rāma menugaskan para Vaiśya; dan menempatkan tiga puluh enam ribu Śūdra—empat kali lipat jumlah itu (sebagai tenaga penunjang).

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• शुश्रूषणार्थाय: for the purpose of service/attendance
• शुश्रूषणार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषण + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (शुश्रूषणस्य अर्थः)

• वैश्यान्: Vaiśyas
• वैश्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• रामः: Rāma
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न्यवेदयत्: assigned/provided
• न्यवेदयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वेद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातुः वेद्/विद् (to make known/assign), उपसर्गः ‘नि’

• षट्त्रिंशत्: thirty-six
• षट्त्रिंशत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् + त्रिंशत् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत्/अविकारी; ‘36’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन (संख्यापरिमाणवाचक)

• शूद्रान्: Śūdras
• शूद्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• तेभ्यः: than them/from them
• तेभ्यः: Apadana (Comparison/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन

• चतुर्गुणान्: fourfold (in number)
• चतुर्गुणान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (चतुर्भिः गुणैः युक्तान् = fourfold)

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual narrator in this dialogue section)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A planned settlement: Brāhmaṇas teaching and performing rites; Vaiśyas bringing grain, ghee, and trade goods; Śūdras engaged in construction, cleaning, and service; Rāma overseeing equitable arrangement.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vaiśya
• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained through orderly cooperation—service and livelihood roles support sacred learning and ritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya region is portrayed as a dharmic polity where sacred living is maintained through structured settlement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse describes administrative provisioning for ongoing religious life (support-service structure).