Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

वर्णेषु श्वेतवर्णोऽसि द्विपदां ब्राह्मणो भवान् । गरुडोस्यंडजेष्वीश व्यवहारेषु वाग्भवान्

Transliteration

varṇeṣu śvetavarṇo'si dvipadāṃ brāhmaṇo bhavān | garuḍosyaṃḍajeṣvīśa vyavahāreṣu vāgbhavān

Translation

വർണങ്ങളിൽ നീ ശ്വേതവർണം; ദ്വിപദങ്ങളിൽ നീ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ. അണ്ഡജങ്ങളിൽ, ഹേ ഈശ്വരാ, നീ ഗരുഡൻ; എല്ലാ വ്യവഹാരങ്ങളിലും നീ വാക്കുതന്നെ.

Word by Word

• वर्णेषु: among colors/classes
• वर्णेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• श्वेतवर्णः: the white color
• श्वेतवर्णः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (श्वेतः वर्णः)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विपदाम्: of bipeds (humans)
• द्विपदाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वौ पदौ यस्य/येषां ते)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आदरार्थे द्वितीयपुरुषार्थकः

• गरुडः: Garuḍa
• गरुडः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अण्डजेषु: among egg-born beings (birds)
• अण्डजेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्डज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• ईश: O Lord
• ईश: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• व्यवहारेषु: in dealings/transactions
• व्यवहारेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यवहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• वाक्: speech
• वाक्: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आदरार्थे द्वितीयपुरुषार्थकः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegorical composition: a white radiance (śukla) suffusing the scene; a learned brāhmaṇa reciting; Garuḍa poised majestically; and Vāk personified as a goddess or as flowing script emerging from the mouth—indicating speech as sacred power.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Garuḍa
• Vāk (speech)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity, dharmic excellence, and truthful speech are portrayed as divine manifestations within society and creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered praise sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; it implicitly elevates disciplined speech (satya-vāk) and dharmic social ideals.