Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

दुष्कुलीनापि या भक्ता सूतेऽपत्यं च भक्तिमत् । कुलीनमेव तन्मन्ये ममेदं मतमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

duṣkulīnāpi yā bhaktā sūte'patyaṃ ca bhaktimat | kulīnameva tanmanye mamedaṃ matamuttamam

Translation

ಸ್ತ್ರೀ ದುಷ್ಕುಲೀನಳಾದರೂ ಭಕ್ತಳಾಗಿ ಭಕ್ತಿಮಂತ ಸಂತಾನವನ್ನು ಹೆತ್ತರೆ, ಆ ಕುಲವನ್ನೇ ನಿಜವಾದ ಕುಲೀನವೆಂದು ನಾನು ಮನ್ಯಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ—ಇದೇ ನನ್ನ ಉತ್ತಮನಿಶ್ಚಯ.

Word by Word

• दुष्कुलीना: of bad family/low-born
• दुष्कुलीना: Visheshana (Qualifier of या)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष् + कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (of low lineage)

• अपि: even if
• अपि: Sambandha (Concessive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• या: who
• या: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• भक्ता: devoted
• भक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier of या)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (devoted)

• सूते: gives birth to
• सूते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (present, 3rd sg, middle)

• अपत्यम्: offspring, child
• अपत्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भक्तिमत्: devout, possessing devotion
• भक्तिमत्: Visheshana (Qualifier of अपत्यम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मतुप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (possessing devotion)

• कुलीनम्: noble (well-born)
• कुलीनम्: Karma (Object-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (as predicate/object complement)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• तत्: that (person/one)
• तत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (pronoun)

• मन्ये: I consider
• मन्ये: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (present, 1st sg, middle)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject; ‘this [is]’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (nominative singular)

• मतम्: opinion, view
• मतम्: Pratijna/Predicate (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (nominative singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of मतम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative)

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), addressing Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A declarative teaching scene: the king asserts that devotion makes a family noble, even if socially ‘low’; emphasis on moral authority and inclusivity.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja
• Keśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti and virtuous conduct are upheld as the real markers of nobility, outweighing mere birth-status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a dharmic valuation of devotion over lineage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a normative statement about social and spiritual worth.