Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

स धर्मः सर्ववर्णानां पुरा सृष्टः स्वयम्भुवा । मन्त्रसंस्कारसम्पन्नास्त्रयो वर्णा द्विजातयः

Transliteration

sa dharmaḥ sarvavarṇānāṃ purā sṛṣṭaḥ svayambhuvā | mantrasaṃskārasampannāstrayo varṇā dvijātayaḥ

Translation

സകല വർണങ്ങൾക്കും ഉള്ള ആ ധർമ്മം പുരാതനകാലത്ത് സ്വയംഭൂ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. മന്ത്രവും സംസ്കാരവും സമ്പന്നമായ മൂന്നു വർണങ്ങൾ ‘ദ്വിജർ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (dharma)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• धर्मः: dharma, law/duty
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्ववर्णानाम्: of all varṇas/classes
• सर्ववर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (सर्वे वर्णाः)

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सृष्टः: created
• सृष्टः: Karma (Predicate participle related to subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (सृज् धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘created’ (past passive participle)

• स्वयम्भुवा: by Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयम्भुवा: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayambhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (Brahmā)

• मन्त्रसंस्कारसम्पन्नाः: endowed with mantra-initiations/rites
• मन्त्रसंस्कारसम्पन्नाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mantra + saṃskāra + sampanna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रसंस्कारैः सम्पन्नाः = endowed with mantra-rites)

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral)

• वर्णाः: varṇas/classes
• वर्णाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• द्विजातयः: twice-born (dvijas)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi + jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (द्विः जाताः = twice-born)

Speaker

Unknown (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic teacher addressing a listener within the Revā-māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-māhātmya setting

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: Svayambhū (Brahmā) establishing dharma; three dvija varṇas shown receiving upanayana and Vedic mantras, with Revā’s flowing presence as a sanctifying backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Svayambhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is presented as an ancient cosmic order established by the Creator, with specific ritual-eligibilities defining certain traditional categories.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is explicitly named in this verse; it functions as doctrinal framing within the Revā Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references mantra and saṃskāra as defining features for the ‘twice-born’ (dvija) groups, rather than prescribing a particular rite.