Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

वर्णाश्च गुरुऋषभद्रविणदेवकसंज्ञाः

Transliteration

varṇāśca guruṛṣabhadraviṇadevakasaṃjñāḥ

Translation

அங்கே உள்ள வர்ணங்கள் ‘குரு’, ‘ரிஷப’, ‘திரவிண’, ‘தேவக’ என்ற பெயர்களால் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றன.

Word by Word

• वर्णाः: classes/varṇas
• वर्णाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• गुरुऋषभद्रविणदेवकसंज्ञाः: having the names Guru, Ṛṣabha, Draviṇa, Devaka
• गुरुऋषभद्रविणदेवकसंज्ञाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु + ऋषभ + द्रविण + देवक + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (गुरु-ऋषभ-द्रविण-देवक इति संज्ञा येषाम्) विशेषणम् (qualifying वर्णाः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Krauñcadvīpa (mythic)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of four social groups in a dvīpa: teacher/guide (Guru), bull-like strength/leadership (Ṛṣabha), prosperous merchant/householder (Draviṇa), and divine/ritual specialist (Devaka), arranged harmoniously around a central dharma-wheel.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Ṛṣabha
• Draviṇa
• Devaka
• Krauñcadvīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is portrayed as structured social order—varṇa designations support stability within sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context remains Krauñcadvīpa; no distinct tīrtha is singled out.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it lists social designations.