Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणज्ञा ब्राह्मणाः परिकीर्तिताः । तदुक्ताचारचरणा इतरे नामधारकाः

Transliteration

śrutismṛtipurāṇajñā brāhmaṇāḥ parikīrtitāḥ | taduktācāracaraṇā itare nāmadhārakāḥ

Translation

シュルティとスムリティ、そしてプラーナを真に知る者こそブラーフマナと称えられる。そこに説かれた行いを実践する者が実のブラーフマナであり、他は名のみのブラーフマナである。

Word by Word

• श्रुति: revelation (Veda)
• श्रुति: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (Qualifier component)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular) (समासाङ्ग)

• स्मृति: tradition; smṛti
• स्मृति: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (Qualifier component)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular) (समासाङ्ग)

• पुराण: Purāṇa
• पुराण: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (Qualifier component)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular) (समासाङ्ग)

• ज्ञाः: knowers (of)
• ज्ञाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा (धातु) ‘to know’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); समासः: श्रुति+स्मृति+पुराण+ज्ञ (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• परिकीर्तिताः: are declared/are called
• परिकीर्तिताः: Karma (Predicate complement; described as)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+√कीर्त् (धातु) / √कीर्त् (धातु) ‘to praise/mention’ (कृदन्त: क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• तद्: of that
• तद्: Sambandha (Genitival relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Singular) (समासाङ्ग)

• उक्त: said; prescribed
• उक्त: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (Qualifier component)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √वच् (धातु) ‘to say’ (कृदन्त: क्त))
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (Past Participle used adjectivally) (समासाङ्ग)

• आचार: conduct; practice
• आचार: Viśeṣya-aṅga (Head component)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) (समासाङ्ग)

• चरणाः: followers/practitioners (of that prescribed conduct)
• चरणाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); समासः: तद्+उक्त+आचार+चरण (तदुक्ताचारस्य चरणाः = तदनुसारिणः)

• इतरे: others
• इतरे: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• नाम: name (only)
• नाम: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable; noun used adverbially as ‘only in name’) (समासाङ्ग)

• धारकाः: bearers (of the name)
• धारकाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारक (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ (धातु) ‘to hold’ (ण्वुल्/कृदन्त-प्रत्यय))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); समासः: नाम+धारक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya / Kāśī-mahātmya listeners (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned assembly in Kāśī: a true brāhmaṇa teaching from palm-leaf manuscripts (Śruti/Smṛti/Purāṇa), while a merely nominal brāhmaṇa stands aside, contrasted by posture and aura; the ghāṭs and a distant Viśvanātha spire suggest the sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Smṛti
• Purāṇa
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual identity is measured by scriptural understanding and lived conduct, not by mere social label.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa and supports the Dharma-framework that underlies Kāśī’s māhātmya, though it does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on ācāra—living according to Śruti-Smṛti-Purāṇa.