Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । उपकाराय साधूनां गृहस्थाश्रमवासिनाम् । यथा च क्रियते धर्मो यथावत्कथयामि ते

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | upakārāya sādhūnāṃ gṛhasthāśramavāsinām | yathā ca kriyate dharmo yathāvatkathayāmi te

Translation

วยาสกล่าวว่า: เพื่อเกื้อกูลแก่ผู้ประเสริฐผู้ดำรงอยู่ในอาศรมคฤหัสถ์ เราจักบอกแก่ท่านโดยถูกต้องว่า ธรรมะพึงปฏิบัติและประกอบอย่างไร

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• उपकाराय: for the benefit
• उपकाराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचनम्

• साधूनाम्: of the good/virtuous people
• साधूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• गृहस्थाश्रमवासिनाम्: of those dwelling in the householder stage
• गृहस्थाश्रमवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ + आश्रम + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचनम्; ‘गृहस्थ-आश्रम-वासिनः’ (सम्बन्ध-तत्पुरुष)

• यथा: how/in what manner
• यथा: Kriya-viseshaṇa (Manner marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (conj./adverb) — प्रकार/उपमानार्थ

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive), आत्मनेपदम्

• धर्मः: dharma/duty
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• यथावत्: properly/as prescribed
• यथावत्: Kriya-viseshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb) — ‘यथाविधि/सम्यक्’

• कथयामि: I tell/explain
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Vyāsa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unnamed disciple/recipient addressed as 'vat(s)a' in the following verse-context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa as authoritative sage begins a new instructional section, seated with disciples; a manuscript and water pot beside him; the setting is an āśrama grove, signaling transmission of dharma to householders.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Gṛhastha-āśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma is meant to be lived—householders are given structured guidance so virtue can flourish in everyday life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; this is a transition into a teaching section on gṛhastha conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general promise to explain proper dharma-practice; specific rites follow in subsequent verses.