Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

योग्यैश्च ब्राह्मणैर्राजन्कुलीनैर्वेदपारगैः । सुरूपैश्च सुशीलैश्च स्वदारनिरतैः शुभैः

Transliteration

yogyaiśca brāhmaṇairrājankulīnairvedapāragaiḥ | surūpaiśca suśīlaiśca svadāranirataiḥ śubhaiḥ

Translation

—(พิธีนั้น) พึงกระทำเถิด โอ้พระราชา โดยพราหมณ์ผู้ควรค่า: ผู้มีตระกูลดี เชี่ยวชาญพระเวท รูปงาม มีศีลาจารวัตรดี ซื่อสัตย์ต่อภรรยาของตน และมีอุปนิสัยเป็นมงคล

Word by Word

• योग्यैः: by/with qualified (persons)
• योग्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• कुलीनैः: of noble lineage
• कुलीनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• वेदपारगैः: versed in the Vedas
• वेदपारगैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य पारगः = वेदेषु पारङ्गतः)

• सुरूपैः: handsome
• सुरूपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सुन्दरं रूपं यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• सुशीलैः: well-conducted, virtuous
• सुशीलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सुशीलः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• स्वदारनिरतैः: devoted to their own wives
• स्वदारनिरतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + दार + निरत (कृदन्त; √रम् (धातु) + नि- उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वेषु दारेषु निरताः)

• शुभैः: auspicious, good
• शुभैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Vyāsa (to Pārtha/Arjuna, addressed as rājan)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā/Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of dignified brāhmaṇas—clean, composed, Veda manuscripts in hand—sit facing the yajamāna; the king listens as the narrator lists qualifications like good lineage, Vedic mastery, and good conduct.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld not only by place and ritual, but also by the ethical character of those who perform and receive it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate context continues the Narmadā/Revā tīrtha śrāddha instruction from the preceding verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha should be conducted with qualified brāhmaṇas—Veda-versed, well-behaved, and morally restrained.