Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

स्मृत्युक्तश्रुतिवर्त्मानो जातवर्णावरेष्वपि । नाद्रियंतेऽन्नपानानामस्मृत्युक्तं कदाचन

Transliteration

smṛtyuktaśrutivartmāno jātavarṇāvareṣvapi | nādriyaṃte'nnapānānāmasmṛtyuktaṃ kadācana

Translation

അവർ സ്മൃതി-ശ്രുതികളിൽ പറഞ്ഞ വഴിയേ പിന്തുടരുന്നു, ജന്മത്തിൽ താഴ്ന്ന വർണ്ണങ്ങളിൽ പിറന്നാലും; സ്മൃതിവിധിക്കു വിരുദ്ധമായ അന്നപാനം അവർ ഒരിക്കലും സ്വീകരിക്കില്ല।

Word by Word

• smṛti: smṛti (tradition)
• smṛti: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• ukta: said, prescribed
• ukta: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• śruti: śruti (Veda)
• śruti: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• vartmānaḥ: those following the śruti-path as stated in smṛti
• vartmānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vartman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘smṛtyukta-śruti-vartman’ = those whose path is śruti as stated in smṛti

• jāta: born
• jāta: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jan (धातु) + jāta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• varṇa: class, varṇa
• varṇa: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• avareṣu: among the lower (born)
• avareṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘jātavarṇa-avara’ = lower by birth/varṇa; विशेषणम् (implied ‘janeṣu’)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; concessive ‘even’)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• ādriyante: they accept/respect
• ādriyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dṛ (धातु; ādriyate)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); आत्मनेपद

• anna: food
• anna: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• pānānām: of food and drink
• pānānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘annapāna’ = food and drink

• asmṛti: non-smṛti, not in smṛti
• asmṛti: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• uktam: (that) not prescribed in smṛti
• uktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘asmṛtyukta’ = not prescribed in smṛti; object of ādriyante

• kadācana: ever, at any time
• kadācana: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācana (अव्यय)
• Form: कालाव्यय (adverb of time; ‘ever/at any time’)

Speaker

Gaṇas (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃyaminī-purī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahābhāga interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rākṣasa-born yet disciplined residents performing daily rites: recitation, offering water, keeping clean vessels; refusing unsanctioned food offered by a dubious figure; calm, orderly domestic-ritual scenes inside the city.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Smṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual nobility is upheld through adherence to sacred norms—self-restraint and disciplined living define righteousness more than social origin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse highlights dharmic lifestyle within the described realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dietary discipline: not consuming food/drink that is contrary to Smṛti-sanctioned practice.