Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

ये वा वर्णाश्रमाचारक्रियालोपा ह्यसंस्कृताः । विपन्नास्ते भवंत्यत्र संमार्जनजलाशिनः

Transliteration

ye vā varṇāśramācārakriyālopā hyasaṃskṛtāḥ | vipannāste bhavaṃtyatra saṃmārjanajalāśinaḥ

Translation

வர்ணாஶ்ரமத்தின் ஆச்சார‑கிரியைகளை கைவிட்டு, உரிய ஸம்ஸ்காரமின்றி தர்மப் பாதையிலிருந்து வீழ்ந்தவர்கள், இங்கே துடைப்பும் துடைப்புத் தண்ணீரும் போன்ற சுத்திகரிப்பு நீரையே உண்டு வாழ்வோர் ஆவர்।

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or/indeed’)

• वर्णाश्रमाचारक्रियालोपाः: those having lapse of the rites of varṇa-āśrama conduct
• वर्णाश्रमाचारक्रियालोपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण + आश्रम + आचार + क्रिया + लोप (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः (वर्णाश्रम-आचार-क्रियाणां लोपाः)

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

• असंस्कृताः: uncultured/unsanctified
• असंस्कृताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संस्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (past participle)

• विपन्नाः: fallen/ruined
• विपन्नाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + पन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पद्/√पत् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• भवन्ति: become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संमार्जनजलाशिनः: eaters of the water used for washing/cleaning
• संमार्जनजलाशिनः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमार्जन + जल + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (संमार्जन-जलम् अश्नन्ति इति)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic teacher addressing a royal interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fallen ritualist, bereft of saṁskāra, appears as a gaunt preta-like being near a swept courtyard, lapping up the water used for cleansing; in the background, disciplined householders perform orderly rites.

Characters & Entities

• Varṇāśrama
• Saṃskāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of dharmic disciplines and saṃskāras leads to spiritual and existential decline, portrayed through a stark karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the sacred setting; the verse supports its moral-ritual framework rather than naming a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It warns against omission of varṇāśrama-ācāra and kriyā (prescribed rites and saṃskāras).