Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17
Devanagari script
ऋषभ उवाच । श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणेषु प्रोक्तो धर्मः सनातनः । वर्णाश्रमानुरूपेण निषेव्यः सर्वदा जनैः
Transliteration
ṛṣabha uvāca | śrutismṛtipurāṇeṣu prokto dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ | varṇāśramānurūpeṇa niṣevyaḥ sarvadā janaiḥ
Translation
ฤๅษภะกล่าวว่า “ธรรมะอันเป็นนิรันดร์ได้ประกาศไว้ในศรุติ (พระเวท) สมฤติ และปุราณะ ทั้งหลาย ชนพึงประพฤติปฏิบัติอยู่เสมอให้สอดคล้องกับวรรณะและอาศรมของตน”
Word by Word
ऋषभःṚṣabha
ऋषभः:
Karta (Speaker/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriyā (Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन
श्रुति-स्मृति-पुराणेषुin the Śrutis, Smṛtis, and Purāṇas
श्रुति-स्मृति-पुराणेषु:
Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (in the Śruti, Smṛti and Purāṇas)
प्रोक्तःdeclared
प्रोक्तः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of धर्मः)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्र√वच् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; (declared)
धर्मःdharma
धर्मः:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन
सनातनःeternal
सनातनः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of धर्मः)
TypeAdjective
Rootसनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण
वर्ण-आश्रमानुरूपेणaccording to (one’s) varṇa and āśrama
वर्ण-आश्रमानुरूपेण:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (instrumental-form used adverbially); (according to varṇa and āśrama)
निषेव्यःshould be practiced
निषेव्यः:
Kriyā (Obligatory predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootनि√सेव् (धातु)
Formयत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; (to be practiced/served)
सर्वदाalways
सर्वदा:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसर्वदा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)
जनैःby people
जनैः:
Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/obligation)
TypeNoun
Rootजन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन
Speaker
Ṛṣabha (Śivayogin)
Characters & Entities
Ṛ
ṚṣabhaŚ
ŚrutiS
SmṛtiP
PurāṇaS
Sanātana DharmaV
VarṇāśramaFAQs
Dharma is timeless and scripturally grounded; it is to be lived consistently in ways suited to one’s duties and stage of life.
No tīrtha is specified; the verse is doctrinal, establishing the authority and universality of dharma.
No single ritual; it prescribes continual practice of dharma according to varṇāśrama responsibilities.