Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

चतुर्णामपि भूतानां प्राणिनोऽतीव चोत्तमाः । प्राणिभ्यामपि मुने श्रेष्ठाः सर्वे बुद्ध्युपजीविनः

Transliteration

caturṇāmapi bhūtānāṃ prāṇino'tīva cottamāḥ | prāṇibhyāmapi mune śreṣṭhāḥ sarve buddhyupajīvinaḥ

Translation

Antara empat golongan makhluk, yang bernyawa memang paling utama. Dan antara yang bernyawa, wahai muni, mereka yang hidup bersandar pada buddhi (akal budi) adalah yang terbaik.

Word by Word

• चतुर्णाम्: of the four
• चतुर्णाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/सामान्य, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक (particle: "also/even")

• भूतानाम्: of beings/elements
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्राणिनः: living beings
• प्राणिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Adhikarana (Degree/अतिशय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अतिशयार्थक (adverb: "very/exceedingly")

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• उत्तमाः: the best
• उत्तमाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्राणिभ्याम्: than (other) living beings
• प्राणिभ्याम्: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative) / तृतीया-द्विवचन (Instr. dual) रूपसाम्य; अत्र तुलना-अर्थे पञ्चमी-द्विवचन ("than living beings")

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपवाद/समुच्चयार्थक

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठाः: superior
• श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• बुद्धि: by intellect
• बुद्धि: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपद (by intellect)

• उपजीविनः: those who live by (depend on)
• उपजीविनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-जीव् (धातु) + इन् (प्रत्यय) → उपजीविन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तद्धित/कृदन्त (agent noun: "one who lives by")

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage gestures to a glowing flame at the forehead (buddhi) of a contemplative pilgrim, while other creatures appear around, indicating the unique capacity of intellect to seek the highest.

Characters & Entities

• Muni (Agastya, implied)
• Buddhi (intellect)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intellect-based discernment is portrayed as the highest advantage in embodied life, grounding responsibility for dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied setting; the verse supports the broader mokṣa teaching by stressing human discernment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the ‘prescription’ is implicit—use buddhi to choose and sustain dharma.