Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

स्वामिन्पूर्वं त्वया विप्रा वृता ये वेदपारगाः । ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशेन निर्मिता ये पुरा द्विजाः

Transliteration

svāminpūrvaṃ tvayā viprā vṛtā ye vedapāragāḥ | brahmaviṣṇumaheśena nirmitā ye purā dvijāḥ

Translation

ഹേ സ്വാമീ! മുമ്പ് നിങ്ങൾ വേദപാരംഗതരായ വിപ്രന്മാരെ തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തിരുന്നു; അവർ പുരാതനത്തിൽ ബ്രഹ്മാ-വിഷ്ണു-മഹേശന്മാർ നിർമ്മിച്ചതായി പറയപ്പെടുന്ന ദ്വിജന്മാരാണ്।

Word by Word

• स्वामिन्: O master
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• विप्राः: brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• वृताः: were chosen
• वृताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु) + वृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘chosen/selected’ (predicate of विप्राः)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; relative pronoun referring to विप्राः

• वेदपारगाः: versed in the Vedas
• वेदपारगाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (वेदस्य पारगः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ये/विप्राः)

• ब्रह्म-विष्णु-महेशेन: by Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśa
• ब्रह्म-विष्णु-महेशेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च महेशश्च); तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन (समाहार/एकवचन-प्रयोग)

• निर्मिताः: were created
• निर्मिताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्मा (धातु; निर् + मा) + निर्मित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘created’ (predicate of द्विजाः)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; relative pronoun referring to द्विजाः

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

• द्विजाः: twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sītā (addressing Rāma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sītā addresses Rāma as lord, reminding him of the previously chosen Veda-master brāhmaṇas, described as fashioned by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa; the scene blends domestic counsel with cosmic reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity depends on qualified Veda-knowing priests; honoring the twice-born sustains dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya remains the sacred setting, where proper priest-selection supports the tīrtha’s promised fruits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Selecting competent Veda-masters as officiants for the yajña is emphasized.