Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मतिमद्भ्यो नराः श्रेष्ठास्तेभ्यः श्रेष्ठास्तु वाडवाः । विप्रेभ्योपि च विद्वांसो विद्वद्भ्यः कृतबुद्धयः

Transliteration

matimadbhyo narāḥ śreṣṭhāstebhyaḥ śreṣṭhāstu vāḍavāḥ | viprebhyopi ca vidvāṃso vidvadbhyaḥ kṛtabuddhayaḥ

Translation

Entre os dotados de mente, os homens são superiores; superiores a eles são os de caráter disciplinado. Mesmo entre os brāhmaṇas, os eruditos são mais elevados; e mais elevados que os eruditos são os de entendimento perfeito e firme.

Word by Word

• मतिमद्भ्यः: than the intelligent (ones)
• मतिमद्भ्यः: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मतिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), बहुवचन; तुलना-अर्थे ("than the intelligent")

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठाः: superior
• श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तेभ्यः: than them
• तेभ्यः: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; तुलना-अर्थे

• श्रेष्ठाः: superior
• श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेष/विरोधार्थक

• वाडवाः: Vāḍavas (a class of people)
• वाडवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (अर्थे) ब्राह्मण-जातिविशेष/वाडव (contextual class)

• विप्रेभ्यः: than Brahmins
• विप्रेभ्यः: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तुलना-अर्थे

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपवाद/समुच्चयार्थक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक

• विद्वांसः: learned men
• विद्वांसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (विद्वस्-शब्द)

• विद्वद्भ्यः: than the learned
• विद्वद्भ्यः: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तुलना-अर्थे

• कृतबुद्धयः: those of firm resolve
• कृतबुद्धयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय ("कृता बुद्धिः येषाम्"/"कृतबुद्धिः" = resolved/firm-minded)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of figures on a Kāśī ghāṭ: an ordinary intelligent person, a disciplined ascetic/student, a brāhmaṇa scholar with texts, a learned teacher expounding, and finally a silent realized one with steady gaze—each more luminous than the last.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Vidyā (learning)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True greatness is measured by discipline, learning, and perfected understanding—not merely by birth or social designation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied context; the verse clarifies the inner qualifications that harmonize with a mokṣa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it recommends cultivation of discipline and kṛta-buddhi (mature, steady discernment).