Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

शूद्रस्य द्विजशुश्रूषा तया जीवन्वणिग्भवेत् । शिल्पैर्वा विविधैर्जीवेद्द्विजातिहितमाचरन्

Transliteration

śūdrasya dvijaśuśrūṣā tayā jīvanvaṇigbhavet | śilpairvā vividhairjīveddvijātihitamācaran

Translation

ສໍາລັບຊູດຣະ ການຮັບໃຊ້ດວິຊະ (ຜູ້ເກີດສອງຄັ້ງ) ແມ່ນວິຖີດໍາລົງຊີວິດທີ່ຄວນ; ໂດຍນັ້ນເຂົາອາດຈະຮຸ່ງເຮືອງເຖິງຂັ້ນເປັນພໍ່ຄ້າໄດ້. ຫຼືຈະດໍາລົງຊີວິດດ້ວຍສິລະປະຫັດຖະກໍາຫຼາຍຢ່າງ ໂດຍປະພຶດເພື່ອປະໂຫຍດແກ່ດວິຊະເສມອ.

Word by Word

• शूद्रस्य: of the Śūdra
• शूद्रस्य: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• द्विजशुश्रूषा: service to the twice-born
• द्विजशुश्रूषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + शुश्रूषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विजानां शुश्रूषा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तया: by that (service)
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• जीवन्: living/earning a living
• जीवन्: Kriya-vishesana (Concomitant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘भवेत्’ इत्यस्य सह क्रियाविशेषणभावः

• वणिक्: a trader
• वणिक्: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज्/वणिक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• शिल्पैः: by crafts
• शिल्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Option (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (or)

• विविधैः: various
• विविधैः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; शिल्पैः इति विशेषण

• जीवेत्: should live/earn
• जीवेत्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• द्विजातिहितम्: what is beneficial to the twice-born
• द्विजातिहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विजातेः हितम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• आचरन्: practising/doing
• आचरन्: Kriya-vishesana (Concomitant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चर् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जीवेत्’ इत्यस्य सह क्रियाविशेषणभावः

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative instruction within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; likely within Sūta’s recitation context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vatsa (disciple/son-figure; unspecified in the given excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A craftsman and a temple-servant: one repairing a shrine lamp/doorway, another offering water to a scholar-priest; the emphasis is dignified labor and service as sacred support.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra
• Dvija (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Livelihood should be aligned with dharma—service, honest craft, and conduct aimed at social and religious welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it gives general dharma guidance within the chapter’s narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the instruction concerns ethical livelihood and supportive conduct.