Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अतो जगत्स्थितं सर्वं ब्राह्मणोऽर्हति नापरः । सदाचारो हि सर्वार्हो नाचाराद्विच्युतः पुनः । तस्माद्विप्रेण सततं भाव्यमाचारशीलिना

Transliteration

ato jagatsthitaṃ sarvaṃ brāhmaṇo'rhati nāparaḥ | sadācāro hi sarvārho nācārādvicyutaḥ punaḥ | tasmādvipreṇa satataṃ bhāvyamācāraśīlinā

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ലോകസ്ഥിതി നിലനിൽക്കുന്നതിന് ബ്രാഹ്മണനേ ആദരാർഹൻ; മറ്റാരുമല്ല. സദാചാരം സർവ്വാദരാർഹം; ആചാരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വീണവൻ വീണ്ടും അർഹനല്ല. അതിനാൽ വിപ്രൻ എപ്പോഴും ആചാരനിഷ്ഠനായിരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu/Connector (हेतु/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (inferential: 'therefore/from this')

• जगत्स्थितम्: situated in the world
• जगत्स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जगति स्थितम् = existing in the world)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्हति: is worthy/deserves
• अर्हति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अपरः: another (person)
• अपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सदाचारः: good conduct
• सदाचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सद् आचारः = good conduct)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal)

• सर्वार्हः: worthy of all (honour)
• सर्वार्हः: Visheshya (Predicate complement/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां अर्हः = worthy of all)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• आचारात्: from conduct
• आचारात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• विच्युतः: fallen away, deviated
• विच्युतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + √च्युत्/√च्यु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुनः: again; moreover
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Connector (हेतु/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that)

• विप्रेण: by a learned Brahmin
• विप्रेण: Karana/Agent-instrument (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), एकवचन

• सततम्: always
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: always)

• भाव्यम्: should be (practised)
• भाव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त; भाव्य)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विध्यर्थः (should be done/should be)

• आचारशीलिना: by one of good conduct
• आचारशीलिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक) + शीलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आचारः शीलं यस्य = of good conduct)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to 'vipra' as normative instruction; also to the listening sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher points to a dharma-śāstra manuscript while a brāhmaṇa stands with composed posture; behind them, a symbolic pillar or cosmic axis suggests 'jagat-sthiti' supported by conduct; a fallen figure in shadow contrasts the ideal.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honor is inseparable from sadācāra; without conduct, status and learning lose their spiritual legitimacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in the Kāśī Māhātmya setting (Vārāṇasī), but the verse emphasizes universal dharma rather than a particular shrine or ghāṭa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral prescription is given: one should continually cultivate and embody proper conduct (ācāra-śīlatā).