Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो वैश्यः शूद्रो वा नृपसत्तम । विहितं कर्म कुर्वाणः स गच्छेत्परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo vaiśyaḥ śūdro vā nṛpasattama | vihitaṃ karma kurvāṇaḥ sa gacchetparamāṃ gatim

Translation

Wahai raja yang utama, sama ada brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya atau śūdra—barang siapa melaksanakan kewajiban yang diwajibkan baginya, dia akan mencapai martabat tertinggi.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• क्षत्रियः: a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• वैश्यः: a Vaishya
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• शूद्रः: a Shudra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक) — ‘or’

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (नृपः एव सत्तमः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular (address)

• विहितम्: prescribed
• विहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past participle ‘prescribed/ordained’, Neuter accusative singular; qualifying ‘कर्म’

• कर्म: duty/act
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• कुर्वाणः: doing (while performing)
• कुर्वाणः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (परस्मैपदी), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Present active participle ‘doing’, Masculine nominative singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• गच्छेत्: would/should go (attain)
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person singular

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular; qualifying ‘गतिम्’

• गतिम्: state/destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular

Speaker

Narratorial voice within the dialogue context (immediately followed by Yudhiṣṭhira’s question; likely addressed to Yudhiṣṭhira as nṛpasattama)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal audience: Yudhiṣṭhira seated respectfully while a sage instructs him; behind them, symbolic figures of the four varṇas perform their duties—teaching, protection, trade, and service—under the gaze of the sacred river.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by address)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is accessible through sincere performance of one’s prescribed duties, regardless of social classification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is a general dharma teaching within the Revā Khaṇḍa; it does not name a specific tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified here; the prescription is broadly to perform vihita-karma (enjoined duties).