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Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

मुखाच्च ब्राह्मणा जाता बाहुभ्यः क्षत्रिया मम । वैश्या ऊरुसमुद्भूताः पद्भ्यां शूद्रा बभूविरे

mukhācca brāhmaṇā jātā bāhubhyaḥ kṣatriyā mama | vaiśyā ūrusamudbhūtāḥ padbhyāṃ śūdrā babhūvire

จากพระโอษฐ์ของเรา พราหมณ์ได้บังเกิด จากพระพาหา กษัตริย์ได้บังเกิด ไวศยะเกิดจากพระเพลา และศูทรเกิดจากพระบาท

mukhātfrom the mouth
mukhāt:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)
brāhmaṇāḥBrahmins
brāhmaṇāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbrāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन
jātāḥwere born; arose
jātāḥ:
Karma (Result/कर्म)
TypeVerb
Root√jan (जन्) (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय (predicate)
bāhubhyaḥfrom the arms
bāhubhyaḥ:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootbāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), बहुवचन
kṣatriyāḥKshatriyas
kṣatriyāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkṣatriya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन
mamaof me; my
mama:
Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
Formषष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
vaiśyāḥVaishyas
vaiśyāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvaiśya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन
ūru-samudbhūtāḥarisen from the thighs
ūru-samudbhūtāḥ:
Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootūru + samudbhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पञ्चमी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (source-sense): 'ūrutaḥ samudbhūtāḥ'
padbhyāmfrom the two feet
padbhyām:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootpād (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), द्विवचन (Dual)
śūdrāḥShudras
śūdrāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśūdra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन
babhūvirecame to be; became
babhūvire:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (भू) (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

Brahmā (narrating a varṇa-origin schema)

Listener: Nārada

Scene: Cosmic body imagery: from the creator’s mouth emerge brāhmaṇas with Vedic fire and manuscripts; from arms, kṣatriyas with bow and armor; from thighs, vaiśyas with grain and scales; from feet, śūdras with tools—depicted respectfully as coordinated limbs.

B
Brahmā
B
Brāhmaṇa
K
Kṣatriya
V
Vaiśya
Ś
Śūdra

FAQs

Society is portrayed as an integrated organism where distinct functions arise in an ordered way, ideally serving dharma and collective harmony.

No tīrtha is named; the verse provides cosmological background often used to frame dharma within tīrtha narratives.

None; it is descriptive of origins and social function rather than prescribing a rite.