Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

द्विजशुश्रूषणं धर्म्मः शूद्राणां हि परो मतः । कण्डूयनं हि शिरसः पाणिभ्यां न शुभं मतम्

Transliteration

dvijaśuśrūṣaṇaṃ dharmmaḥ śūdrāṇāṃ hi paro mataḥ | kaṇḍūyanaṃ hi śirasaḥ pāṇibhyāṃ na śubhaṃ matam

Translation

O serviço aos duas-vezes-nascidos (dvija) é considerado o dharma supremo para os Śūdras. E coçar a cabeça com as próprias mãos é tido como inauspicioso.

Word by Word

• द्विज-शुश्रूषणम्: service to the twice-born
• द्विज-शुश्रूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + शुश्रूषण (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रु/श्रू (धातु) से भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजस्य शुश्रूषणम्)

• धर्म्मः: duty; dharma
• धर्म्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• शूद्राणाम्: of the Śūdras
• शूद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• परः: highest; supreme
• परः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (धर्म्मः इत्यस्य)

• मतः: considered
• मतः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक; √मन् (धातु) से क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• कण्डूयनम्: scratching
• कण्डूयनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्डूयन (प्रातिपदिक; √कण्डूय् (धातु) से भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• शिरसः: of the head
• शिरसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• पाणिभ्याम्: with (both) hands
• पाणिभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), द्विवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle), अव्यय

• शुभम्: auspicious; proper
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (मतम् इत्यस्य)

• मतम्: (it is) considered
• मतम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक; √मन् (धातु) से क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Unknown (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa instructional narration; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet āśrama or temple courtyard: a Śūdra attendant respectfully serving a seated brāhmaṇa teacher; nearby, a subtle vignette shows a pilgrim restraining from scratching the head, hands folded in reverence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is expressed through disciplined service and careful bodily etiquette, treating even small actions as spiritually consequential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral prescription: for Śūdras, service to dvijas is stated as primary duty; additionally, scratching the head with the hands is deemed inauspicious.