Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 193

Devanagari script

संतुष्टा ये हि विप्रास्ते नान्ये वेषधरा ह्यमी । स्वधर्मनिरता राजन्निर्दंभा निरवग्रहाः

Transliteration

saṃtuṣṭā ye hi viprāste nānye veṣadharā hyamī | svadharmaniratā rājannirdaṃbhā niravagrahāḥ

Translation

“พราหมณ์ผู้สันโดษเท่านั้นคือพราหมณ์แท้; ที่เหลือเป็นเพียงผู้สวมคราบ. โอ้พระราชา ผู้สันโดษตั้งมั่นในสวธรรม ปราศจากมายาและไร้ความยึดถือ”

Word by Word

• संतुष्टाः: content; satisfied
• संतुष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+तुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (relative pronoun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• विप्राः: brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Correlative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वेष-धराः: wearers of disguise; mere costume-bearers
• वेष-धराः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेष (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः वेषं धरन्ति (तत्पुरुष)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• अमी: these (people)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्वधर्म-निरताः: devoted to their own duty
• स्वधर्म-निरताः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वधर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः स्वधर्मे निरताः (तत्पुरुष)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• निर्दम्भाः: free from hypocrisy
• निर्दम्भाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्+दम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नञ्/निर्-उपसर्गयुक्त विशेषण

• निरवग्रहाः: without obstruction/constraint; unimpeded
• निरवग्रहाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्+अवग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Vāmana

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana defines the true brahmin: content, devoted to svadharma, without pretence or possessiveness; the king is addressed directly as ‘rājan’.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Bali
• Vipra (Brahmin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authentic holiness is measured by contentment, integrity, and dedication to duty—not by external appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra is the broader frame of the Kedārakhaṇḍa; this verse provides universal dharma guidance within that sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it outlines inner qualifications for those who accept gifts and perform dharma.