Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

वेदवेदांगतत्त्वज्ञः परसैन्यविदारणः । चतुरोऽप्याश्रमान्वर्णान्धर्मतः परिपालयन्

Transliteration

vedavedāṃgatattvajñaḥ parasainyavidāraṇaḥ | caturo'pyāśramānvarṇāndharmataḥ paripālayan

Translation

അദ്ദേഹം വേദ-വേദാംഗങ്ങളുടെ തത്ത്വജ്ഞനും ശത്രുസൈന്യവിദാരകനുമായിരുന്നു; ധർമ്മപ്രകാരം നാലാശ്രമങ്ങളെയും വർണങ്ങളെയും സംരക്ഷിച്ചു പാലിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वज्ञः: knower of the essence of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-वेदाङ्ग-तत्त्व-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to king); समासः—वेदवेदाङ्गयोः तत्त्वं जानाति (बहु-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-श्रृंखला)

• परसैन्यविदारणः: destroyer of enemy armies
• परसैन्यविदारणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर-सैन्य-विदारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—परस्य सैन्यस्य विदारणः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to ‘आश्रमान्’)

• अपि: also / even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• आश्रमान्: the (four) āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वर्णान्: the (four) varṇas (social classes)
• वर्णान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• धर्मतः: righteously / according to dharma
• धर्मतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धर्मतः (अव्यय; धर्म + तस्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘according to dharma’

• परिपालयन्: protecting / governing
• परिपालयन्: Kriya (Participial action/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-पाल् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(he) governing/protecting’

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Portrait of the king as scholar-warrior: one side shows him consulting Vedic texts with brāhmaṇas; another shows him leading troops, yet with dharmic restraint; symbolic depiction of four āśramas/varṇas under his protection.

Characters & Entities

• King Śaṅkara (implied)
• Veda
• Vedāṅga
• Āśramas
• Varṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma thrives when rulers uphold Vedic wisdom and protect the social and spiritual disciplines (āśrama/varṇa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Setu–Rāmeśvara context frames the narrative, though this verse focuses on rajadharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintenance of āśrama-dharma and varṇa-dharma—structured religious and social duties—through righteous governance.