Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

यो लौल्याच्च कुलाचारं गोत्राचारं प्रलोपयेत् । स्वाचारं यो न कुर्वीत कदाचिद्वै विमोहितः

Transliteration

yo laulyācca kulācāraṃ gotrācāraṃ pralopayet | svācāraṃ yo na kurvīta kadācidvai vimohitaḥ

Translation

ผู้ใดด้วยความโลภทำลายจารีตตระกูลและธรรมเนียมแห่งโคตร และผู้ใดหลงมัวไม่ประพฤติตามวัตรอันชอบธรรมของตน—ผู้นั้นย่อมเสื่อมสูญ

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• लौल्यात्: from fickleness/greed
• लौल्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लौल्यम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• कुलाचारम्: family custom
• कुलाचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुलस्य आचारः)

• गोत्राचारम्: clan/gotra custom
• गोत्राचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गोत्रस्य आचारः)

• प्रलोपयेत्: should destroy/abolish
• प्रलोपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + लुप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• स्वाचारम्: one's own proper conduct
• स्वाचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (स्वः आचारः = own conduct)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation particle)

• कुर्वीत: should do/practise
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• कदाचित्: ever/at any time
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/assurance particle)

• विमोहितः: deluded
• विमोहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + मुह् (धातु) → विमोहित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; didactic instruction within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral allegory: a person tempted by wealth cuts down a ‘tree of tradition’ labeled kula-ācāra/gotra-ācāra, while a sage points to a path of svācāra and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Kulācāra
• Gotrācāra
• Svācāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed and delusion lead one to abandon dharmic discipline; preserving rightful conduct is presented as protective of one’s life and welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya, framing dharma as the foundation for benefiting from sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual is named; the prescription is adherence to svācāra, kulācāra, and gotrācāra.