Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । वत्स पृथक्पृथक्प्रोक्तं वर्णानां श्रेय उत्तमम् । ब्राह्मणानां तपो मूलं दमोऽध्ययनमेव च

Transliteration

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca | vatsa pṛthakpṛthakproktaṃ varṇānāṃ śreya uttamam | brāhmaṇānāṃ tapo mūlaṃ damo'dhyayanameva ca

Translation

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच—वत्स, वर्णानां पृथक् पृथक् यत् परमं श्रेयः प्रोक्तं तत् शृणु। ब्राह्मणानां तप एव मूलं, तदनुगतौ दमः स्वाध्यायश्चैव।

Word by Word

• श्रीकृष्णः: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• श्रीकृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + कृष्ण (कर्मधारय)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• वत्स: O child/dear one
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

• प्रोक्तम्: has been stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेष्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• वर्णानाम्: of the social classes (varṇas)
• वर्णानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma/Predicative (Object/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; श्रेयः इति विशेषण

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• मूलम्: root/foundation
• मूलम्: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• दमः: self-control
• दमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अध्ययनम्: study (of Veda)
• अध्ययनम्: Samuccita-karta (Coordinated subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि + इ (धातु) + ल्युट् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाववाचक कृदन्त (verbal noun/gerundive noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vatsa (disciple/son-figure; unspecified in the given excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śrī Kṛṣṇa seated as teacher, addressing a ‘vatsa’ (dear child/disciple), with palm-leaf manuscripts nearby; the atmosphere is calm, didactic, and ascetic—suggesting tapas, restraint, and study.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śreyas is aligned with svadharma; for Brāhmaṇas, inner discipline (tapas and dama) and scriptural study are foundational.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; the verse is a dharma teaching rather than a sthala-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adhyayana (scriptural study/recitation) and tapas are recommended as foundational disciplines for Brāhmaṇas.