Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणत्वं त्रिभिर्लोकैर्दुर्लभं पद्मलोचने । संस्कारैः संस्कृतो विप्रो यैश्च जायेत तच्छृणु

Transliteration

brāhmaṇatvaṃ tribhirlokairdurlabhaṃ padmalocane | saṃskāraiḥ saṃskṛto vipro yaiśca jāyeta tacchṛṇu

Translation

ഹേ പദ്മലോചനേ! ത്രിലോകങ്ങളിലും ബ്രാഹ്മണത്വം ദുർലഭം. സംസ്കാരങ്ങളാൽ വിപ്രൻ സംസ്കൃതനാകുന്നു— ഏത് സംസ്കാരങ്ങളാൽ അവൻ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ വിപ്രനാകുന്നുവോ അത് കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणत्वम्: Brahminhood
• ब्राह्मणत्वम्: Karma/Predicative (विधेय/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणत्व (प्रातिपदिक; ब्राह्मण+त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रिभिः: by three
• त्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• लोकैः: worlds
• लोकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक; दुर्+लभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• पद्मलोचने: O lotus-eyed (lady)
• पद्मलोचने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मलोचना (प्रातिपदिक; पद्म+लोचना)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (पद्मवत् लोचना यस्याः)

• संस्कारैः: by rites/sacraments
• संस्कारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• संस्कृतः: purified/refined
• संस्कृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+√कृ (धातु) → संस्कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• विप्रः: a Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यैः: by which
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

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

• जायेत: would be born/become
• जायेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश (that)

• शृणु: hear/listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as ‘padma-locane’ (lotus-eyed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau: Mārkaṇḍeya addressing a ‘lotus-eyed’ listener; palm-leaf texts; sacred thread, yajñopavīta, and ritual items symbolizing saṃskāra; a calm riverbank hermitage ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Brāhmaṇatva
• Saṃskāra
• Padmalocanā (lotus-eyed addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual and social identity in dharma is safeguarded by disciplined rites (saṃskāras), not merely by birth-claim or convenience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is doctrinal, occurring within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃskāras are introduced as the means of refinement; the subsequent verses enumerate them.