Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

धनभागी भवेद्वैश्यः शूद्रो वै धर्मभाग्भवेत् । सौभाग्यं सन्ततिं स्वर्गं नारी श्रुत्वाप्नुयाद्धनम्

Transliteration

dhanabhāgī bhavedvaiśyaḥ śūdro vai dharmabhāgbhavet | saubhāgyaṃ santatiṃ svargaṃ nārī śrutvāpnuyāddhanam

Translation

वैश्यो धनभागी भवेत्, शूद्रो धर्मभाग्भवेत्; नारी तु श्रुत्वा सौभाग्यं सन्ततिं स्वर्गं धनं चाप्नुयात्।

Word by Word

• धनभागी: sharing in wealth, wealthy
• धनभागी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन + भागिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वैश्यस्य)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वैश्यः: a vaiśya
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• शूद्रः: a śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle/emphasis)

• धर्मभाग्: sharing in dharma, righteous
• धर्मभाग्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + भाग् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शूद्रस्य); भाग्-शब्दः (ending in -bhāg)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सौभाग्यम्: good fortune
• सौभाग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saubhāgya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• सन्ततिम्: progeny, lineage
• सन्ततिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: santati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• आप्नुयात्: should obtain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-māhātmya (Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mixed assembly: merchant (vaiśya) with ledger/coins, worker (śūdra) with tools, women with lamps and children, all listening to a recitation; blessings symbolized by overflowing grain, cradle, and a celestial path upward.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśya
• Śūdra
• Nārī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic śravaṇa is presented as universally beneficial, granting dharma and worldly-spiritual welfare across social roles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a specific site; it continues the phalaśruti of hearing the Revā/Narmadā-centered Purāṇa teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listening (śravaṇa) to the Purāṇa as a regular devotional discipline.