Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

न ब्राह्मणो वेदपाठान्न शास्त्रपठनादपि । देव्यास्त्रिकालमभ्यासाद्बाह्मणः स्याद्धि नान्यथा

Transliteration

na brāhmaṇo vedapāṭhānna śāstrapaṭhanādapi | devyāstrikālamabhyāsādbāhmaṇaḥ syāddhi nānyathā

Translation

ਕੇਵਲ ਵੇਦ ਪਾਠ ਜਾਂ ਸ਼ਾਸਤਰ ਅਧਿਐਨ ਨਾਲ ਕੋਈ ਸੱਚਾ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਨਹੀਂ ਬਣਦਾ। ਦੇਵੀ (ਗਾਇਤ੍ਰੀ) ਦੀ ਤ੍ਰਿਕਾਲ ਅਭਿਆਸ-ਸਾਧਨਾ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਬਣਦਾ ਹੈ—ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਿਨਾ ਨਹੀਂ।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• ब्राह्मणः: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• वेद-पाठात्: from recitation of the Veda
• वेद-पाठात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + पाठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य पाठः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• शास्त्र-पठनात्: from study/reading of śāstras
• शास्त्र-पठनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र + पठन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शास्त्रस्य पठनम्)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even)

• देव्याः: of the Goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• त्रि-कालम्: three times (daily)
• त्रि-कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः कालाः)

• अभ्यासात्: from practice/repetition
• अभ्यासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would become
• स्यात्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (indeed/for)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb), प्रकारवाचक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a scholar reciting texts stands beside a practitioner performing sandhyā at dawn; Gāyatrī’s light crowns the practitioner, illustrating that lived practice completes learning.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī (Devī)
• Veda
• Śāstra
• Trikāla (three daily times)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual identity is grounded in disciplined daily practice and purity of conduct, not only in scholarship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the verse teaches dharma relevant to Kāśī’s sacred life, rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trikāla-abhyāsa of the Devī—understood as thrice-daily Sandhyā practice centered on Gāyatrī.