Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

द्विजातयो मुखाज्जाताः क्षत्रिया बाहुयन्त्रतः । ऊरुप्रदेशाद्वैश्यास्तु शूद्राः पादेष्वथाभवन्

Transliteration

dvijātayo mukhājjātāḥ kṣatriyā bāhuyantrataḥ | ūrupradeśādvaiśyāstu śūdrāḥ pādeṣvathābhavan

Translation

ພວກທະວິຊະ (ເກີດສອງຄັ້ງ) ເກີດຈາກປາກ; ກະສັດຕຣິຍເກີດຈາກແຂນ; ໄວສະຍະເກີດຈາກບ່ອນຕົ້ນຂາ; ແລະ ຊູດຣະ ຈຶ່ງເກີດຈາກຕີນ.

Word by Word

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born (classes)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• मुखात्: from the mouth
• मुखात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• जाताः: were born
• जाताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (born)

• क्षत्रियाः: kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बाहु-यन्त्रतः: from the arms (region)
• बाहु-यन्त्रतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक) + यन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• ऊरु-प्रदेशात्: from the thigh-region
• ऊरु-प्रदेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊरु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ऊरोः प्रदेशः)

• वैश्याः: vaiśyas
• वैश्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• शूद्राः: śūdras
• शूद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पादेषु: in/from the feet
• पादेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker (क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequence/then)

• अभवन्: came to be/were
• अभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic visualization of the cosmic person/body from which the four varṇas arise—mouth, arms, thighs, and feet—presented as a schematic sacred anthropology.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Dvijāti
• Kṣatriya
• Vaiśya
• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents a symbolic, cosmic-body model of social functions, preparing for duties (dharma) assigned by role rather than mere status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the teaching occurs within the Revā (Narmadā) sacred geography context of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse sets up the framework for role-based dharma described in later verses.