Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

राजन्यवर्यास्ते बाहु वैश्या ऊरुसमुद्भवाः । पद्भ्यां शूद्रस्तवेशान केशास्ते जलदाः प्रभो

Transliteration

rājanyavaryāste bāhu vaiśyā ūrusamudbhavāḥ | padbhyāṃ śūdrastaveśāna keśāste jaladāḥ prabho

Translation

ข้าแต่พระอีศานะ กษัตริย์ผู้สูงศักดิ์คือพระกรของพระองค์; ไวศยะบังเกิดจากพระเพลา; ศูทรจากพระบาท; และเส้นพระเกศา ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า คือหมู่เมฆหนาทึบ

Word by Word

• राजन्यवर्याः: the noble Kṣatriyas
• राजन्यवर्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्यवर्य (प्रातिपदिक; राजन्य + वर्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural; कर्मधारयः (वर्याः राजन्याः = ‘excellent kṣatriyas’)

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; genitive singular

• बाहु: arm
• बाहु: Adhikarana/Relation (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• वैश्याः: Vaiśyas
• वैश्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural

• ऊरुसमुद्भवाः: born from the thigh
• ऊरुसमुद्भवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊरुसमुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; ऊरु + समुद्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऊरोः समुद्भवाः)

• पद्भ्याम्: from (your) two feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, द्विवचनम्; instrumental dual (by/from the two feet)

• शूद्रः: Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; genitive singular

• ईशान: O Īśāna
• ईशान: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; vocative singular

• केशाः: hairs
• केशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; genitive singular

• जलदाः: clouds (water-givers)
• जलदाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलद (प्रातिपदिक; जल + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (जलम् ददाति इति)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; vocative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as cosmic figure with symbolic varṇa-emblems: kṣatriya warriors as arms, merchants/agricultural abundance at thighs, humble workers at feet; hair transforming into monsoon clouds raining over the world.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśāna)
• Kṣatriya
• Vaiśya
• Śūdra
• Clouds

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human social functions are framed as parts of the divine cosmic body, urging harmony and dharma rather than separation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting implies Kāśī’s sacred worldview, but no single tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.