Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

स तदाहेति विप्रोहं पृष्टः सन्गरुडाग्रतः । वसाम्येषु निषादेषु जातिमात्रोपजीवकः

Transliteration

sa tadāheti viprohaṃ pṛṣṭaḥ sangaruḍāgrataḥ | vasāmyeṣu niṣādeṣu jātimātropajīvakaḥ

Translation

ഗരുഡന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ ചോദിക്കപ്പെട്ട ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ പറഞ്ഞു— “ഞാൻ നിഷാദന്മാരുടെ ഇടയിൽ വസിക്കുന്നു; ജന്മസ്ഥാനമാത്രം ആശ്രയിച്ചാണ് ജീവിക്കുന്നത്, മറ്റൊരു യഥാർത്ഥ ഉപജീവനം ഇല്ല।”

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-चिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• पृष्टः: (having been) asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु) + त (क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-कर्तरि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सन्: being
• सन्: Sahakari (सहकारी/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस् (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गरुड-अग्रतः: in front of Garuḍa
• गरुड-अग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्रतः (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमास; अग्रतः = स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (in front of)

• वसामि: I dwell
• वसामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एषु: among these
• एषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• निषादेषु: among Niṣādas (hunters/tribals)
• निषादेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• जाति-मात्र-उपजीवकः: one who lives only by (his) caste/tribal occupation
• जाति-मात्र-उपजीवकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उपजीवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (जातिमात्रम् उपजीवति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Unnamed brāhmaṇa (questioned by Garuḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa, questioned before Garuḍa, admits he lives among Niṣādas, surviving only by birth-identity; Garuḍa looms as a divine judge-witness.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Niṣāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Identity by birth alone is portrayed as spiritually thin; dharma is implied to be grounded in conduct, purpose, and right livelihood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative frame (the glory of Kāśī/Varanasi), though the immediate line focuses on Garuḍa’s inquiry rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.