Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

वैष्णवं धर्ममुत्सज्य वौद्धधर्ममुपागताः । प्रजास्तमनुवर्तिन्यः क्षपणैः प्रतिबोधिताः

Transliteration

vaiṣṇavaṃ dharmamutsajya vauddhadharmamupāgatāḥ | prajāstamanuvartinyaḥ kṣapaṇaiḥ pratibodhitāḥ

Translation

ବୈଷ୍ଣବ ଧର୍ମକୁ ତ୍ୟାଗ କରି ସେମାନେ ବୌଦ୍ଧ ଧର୍ମ ଗ୍ରହଣ କଲେ; କ୍ଷପଣମାନଙ୍କ ଉପଦେଶରେ ପ୍ରଜାମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ତାଙ୍କୁ ଅନୁସରଣ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• धर्मम्: dharma/religion
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उत्सज्य: having abandoned
• उत्सज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्- सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• वौद्धधर्मम्: Buddhist dharma
• वौद्धधर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वौद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उपागताः: (they) approached/adopted
• उपागताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप- गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle used finitely), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (active sense)

• प्रजाः: the subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तम्: him/that (king)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अनुवर्तिन्यः: following (him)
• अनुवर्तिन्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु- वृत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय (present participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• क्षपणैः: by kṣapaṇas (ascetics/monks)
• क्षपणैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• प्रतिबोधिताः: instructed/converted
• प्रतिबोधिताः: Hetu/Agent relation (Cause/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति- बुध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A public assembly where kṣapaṇas (austere renunciants) preach and persuade; townspeople turn away from Vaiṣṇava symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) toward new emblems; the king’s policy shift is implied.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiṣṇava dharma
• Bauddha dharma
• Kṣapaṇa
• Prajā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It portrays Kali-yuga as an era of religious shifting and susceptibility to persuasion, implying the need for discernment and steadiness in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is descriptive of doctrinal change rather than prescribing a rite.