Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

उत्तमानुत्तमानेव गच्छन्हीनांश्च वर्जयन् । ब्राह्मणः श्रेष्ठतामेति प्रत्यवाये न शूद्रताम्

Transliteration

uttamānuttamāneva gacchanhīnāṃśca varjayan | brāhmaṇaḥ śreṣṭhatāmeti pratyavāye na śūdratām

Translation

ພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ຄົບຫາແຕ່ຜູ້ດີ ແລະຜູ້ດີຍິ່ງ ພ້ອມທັງຫຼີກເວັ້ນຄົນຕ່ຳ ຍ່ອມໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມສູງສົງ; ແຕ່ຖ້າຕົກໃນຄວາມປະພຶດຜິດທາງ ຍ່ອມບໍ່ຍົກຂຶ້ນ—ກັບເສື່ອມລົງສູ່ຄວາມຕ່ຳຕ້ອຍ.

Word by Word

• उत्तमान्: the best (people)
• उत्तमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उत्तमान्: the excellent (ones)
• उत्तमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चय/अवधारण (emphasis) — particle

• गच्छन्: going, associating
• गच्छन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Present participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ब्राह्मणः इति विशेषणम्

• हीनान्: the inferior (people)
• हीनान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction) — and

• वर्जयन्: avoiding
• वर्जयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Present participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ब्राह्मणः इति विशेषणम्

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठताम्: to superiority, excellence
• श्रेष्ठताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेष्ठता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular (भाववाचक)

• एति: attains
• एति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person, Singular

• प्रत्यवाये: in (case of) downfall/obstruction
• प्रत्यवाये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यवाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation) — not

• शूद्रताम्: the state of being a Śūdra
• शूद्रताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular (भाववाचक)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa pilgrim stands at a crossroads in Kāśī: one path leads to a luminous assembly of sages; the other to a shadowy crowd of vice. He chooses the luminous path; above, a scale balances ‘ācāra’ against ‘pratyavāya’.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Dharma
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One’s dharmic stature is preserved and elevated by noble association and lost by transgressive, degrading conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in Kāśī-khaṇḍa, implying that life in a sacred city should be matched by elevated conduct and company.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a prescriptive rule of conduct (ācāra) concerning association and moral decline.