Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

दुष्कुलीनापि या भक्ता सूतेऽपत्यं च भक्तिमत् । कुलीनमेव तन्मन्ये ममेदं मतमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

duṣkulīnāpi yā bhaktā sūte'patyaṃ ca bhaktimat | kulīnameva tanmanye mamedaṃ matamuttamam

Translation

ଯଦି ଜଣେ ନାରୀ ଦୁଷ୍କୁଳୀନ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଭକ୍ତ ହୁଏ ଏବଂ ଭକ୍ତିମାନ ସନ୍ତାନକୁ ଜନ୍ମ ଦିଏ, ତେବେ ମୁଁ ସେହି କୁଳକୁ ହିଁ ସତ୍ୟ କୁଳୀନ ମନେ କରେ—ଏହା ମୋର ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ମତ।

Word by Word

• दुष्कुलीना: of bad family/low-born
• दुष्कुलीना: Visheshana (Qualifier of या)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष् + कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (of low lineage)

• अपि: even if
• अपि: Sambandha (Concessive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• या: who
• या: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• भक्ता: devoted
• भक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier of या)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (devoted)

• सूते: gives birth to
• सूते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (present, 3rd sg, middle)

• अपत्यम्: offspring, child
• अपत्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भक्तिमत्: devout, possessing devotion
• भक्तिमत्: Visheshana (Qualifier of अपत्यम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मतुप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (possessing devotion)

• कुलीनम्: noble (well-born)
• कुलीनम्: Karma (Object-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (as predicate/object complement)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• तत्: that (person/one)
• तत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (pronoun)

• मन्ये: I consider
• मन्ये: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (present, 1st sg, middle)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject; ‘this [is]’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (nominative singular)

• मतम्: opinion, view
• मतम्: Pratijna/Predicate (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (nominative singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of मतम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative)

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), addressing Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A declarative teaching scene: the king asserts that devotion makes a family noble, even if socially ‘low’; emphasis on moral authority and inclusivity.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja
• Keśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti and virtuous conduct are upheld as the real markers of nobility, outweighing mere birth-status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a dharmic valuation of devotion over lineage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a normative statement about social and spiritual worth.