Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणानां हितार्थाय श्रुत्यर्थं तस्य केवलम् । दशप्रमाणाः संप्रोक्ताः सर्वे ते ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānāṃ hitārthāya śrutyarthaṃ tasya kevalam | daśapramāṇāḥ saṃproktāḥ sarve te brāhmaṇottamāḥ

Translation

เพื่อประโยชน์เกื้อกูลแก่พราหมณ์ทั้งหลาย และเพื่อธำรงรักษาและสืบทอดความหมายแห่งศรุติเท่านั้น จึงได้แต่งตั้งผู้เป็นหลักฐานสิบประการ—ล้วนเป็นพราหมณ์ผู้เลิศ

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Beneficiary relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम्

• हित-अर्थाय: for the welfare (purpose)
• हित-अर्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः ('हितस्य अर्थः' = welfare-purpose); पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative/4th), एकवचनम्

• श्रुति-अर्थम्: the meaning of śruti
• श्रुति-अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः ('श्रुतेः अर्थः' / 'श्रुत्यर्थः'); पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• तस्य: of that / his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• केवलम्: only/merely
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Limiter/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् (adverbial: only/merely)

• दश-प्रमाणाः: ten authorities/proofs
• दश-प्रमाणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (numerical compound: 'ten authorities/proofs'); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• सम्-प्रोक्ताः: were declared
• सम्-प्रोक्ताः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ब्राह्मण-उत्तमाः: excellent brahmins
• ब्राह्मण-उत्तमाः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः ('श्रेष्ठा ब्राह्मणाः'); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual); appointments described after Brahmā’s speech

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Veda-sthāna kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An assembly appoints ten ‘pramāṇas’—senior Brahmins entrusted with preserving śruti; palm-leaf manuscripts, recitation circles, and a formal sabhā setting.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Śruti (Veda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is safeguarded through qualified custodians of śruti; spiritual society thrives when Vedic learning is protected by the worthy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions within a tīrtha-glorification chapter, but does not name the site directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; it describes an institutional-religious arrangement: appointing authoritative brāhmaṇas to uphold śruti.