Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वेदोच्चारणमात्रेण क्षत्रियैर्धर्मपालकैः । जिह्वाछेदोऽस्य कर्तव्यः शूद्रस्येति विनिश्चयः

Transliteration

vedoccāraṇamātreṇa kṣatriyairdharmapālakaiḥ | jihvāchedo'sya kartavyaḥ śūdrasyeti viniścayaḥ

Translation

اگر کوئی شودر محض وید کا اُچارَن کرے تو دھرم کے نگہبان کشتریوں کے ہاتھوں اس کی زبان کاٹ دی جائے—یہی یہاں طے شدہ فیصلہ بیان ہوا ہے۔

Word by Word

• वेदोच्चारणमात्रेण: by mere recitation of the Veda
• वेदोच्चारणमात्रेण: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + उच्चारण + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य उच्चारणम्) + तत्पुरुष (उच्चारणस्य मात्रम्)

• क्षत्रियैः: by Kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• धर्मपालकैः: (who are) protectors of dharma
• धर्मपालकैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + पालक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य पालकाः)

• जिह्वाछेदः: cutting of the tongue
• जिह्वाछेदः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा + छेद (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जिह्वायाः छेदः)

• अस्य: of him / his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कर्तव्यः: must be done
• कर्तव्यः: Kriya (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• शूद्रस्य: of a Śūdra
• शूद्रस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• विनिश्चयः: the determination/decision
• विनिश्चयः: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि-निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Revā Khaṇḍa narrative instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark didactic tableau: kṣatriya ‘dharma-protectors’ are invoked as enforcers; the sage’s words carry the weight of daṇḍanīti. Depict symbolically (authority and restraint) rather than literal violence.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Kṣatriya
• Dharma
• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It portrays dharma as guarded by social-ritual boundaries and frames transgression of Vedic adhikāra as severely punishable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is directly named in this verse; it appears within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader tīrtha-centered discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition against Veda-utterance by those deemed ineligible, coupled with a stated punitive enforcement by dharma-protecting rulers.