Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

विप्रानुकीर्तिता याश्च वृत्तिः सापि विभज्यते । प्रथमा लभ्यमाना च वृत्तिर्वै यावती पुनः

Transliteration

viprānukīrtitā yāśca vṛttiḥ sāpi vibhajyate | prathamā labhyamānā ca vṛttirvai yāvatī punaḥ

Translation

ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନେ କହିଥିବା ‘ବୃତ୍ତି’ (ଜୀବିକା) ମଧ୍ୟ ବିଭାଗ କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ପ୍ରଥମ ଭାଗ ହେଉଛି ଯେପରି ମିଳେ—ଯେତେ ମିଳେ—ସେତେ ବୃତ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• विप्र: of the Brahmins
• विप्र: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• अनुकीर्तिता: described
• अनुकीर्तिता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु+कीर्त् (धातु) → अनुकीर्तित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—अनुकीर्तिता (described/recited)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय (and)

• वृत्तिः: means of livelihood/maintenance
• वृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (also/even)

• विभज्यते: is divided/distributed
• विभज्यते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is divided)

• प्रथमा: the first
• प्रथमा: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—प्रथम (first)

• लभ्यमाना: being obtained
• लभ्यमाना: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लभ्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—प्राप्यमाणा (being obtained)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय

• वृत्तिः: maintenance
• वृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (indeed)

• यावती: as much as
• यावती: Visheshana (Measure-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (as much as)

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Kāla/Prakāra (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—पुनरुक्ति/कालवाचक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder sits with measured grain and coins, dividing them into portions: one for daily sustenance, one for deity worship, one for guests/charity; a brāhmaṇa advisor gestures to the correct apportionment.

Characters & Entities

• vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earnings are not merely personal; dharma requires mindful allocation of livelihood toward ordained responsibilities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a general dharma guideline within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An instruction to divide/apportion one’s vṛtti (income/livelihood) according to established dharma guidance.