Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

स्मृत्युक्तश्रुतिवर्त्मानो जातवर्णावरेष्वपि । नाद्रियंतेऽन्नपानानामस्मृत्युक्तं कदाचन

Transliteration

smṛtyuktaśrutivartmāno jātavarṇāvareṣvapi | nādriyaṃte'nnapānānāmasmṛtyuktaṃ kadācana

Translation

وہ شروتی اور سمرتی میں بتائے ہوئے راستوں پر چلتے ہیں، اگرچہ نچلے ورنوں میں پیدا ہوئے ہوں؛ اور سمرتی کے حکم کے خلاف کوئی کھانا یا پینا کبھی قبول نہیں کرتے۔

Word by Word

• smṛti: smṛti (tradition)
• smṛti: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• ukta: said, prescribed
• ukta: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• śruti: śruti (Veda)
• śruti: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• vartmānaḥ: those following the śruti-path as stated in smṛti
• vartmānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vartman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘smṛtyukta-śruti-vartman’ = those whose path is śruti as stated in smṛti

• jāta: born
• jāta: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jan (धातु) + jāta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• varṇa: class, varṇa
• varṇa: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• avareṣu: among the lower (born)
• avareṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘jātavarṇa-avara’ = lower by birth/varṇa; विशेषणम् (implied ‘janeṣu’)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; concessive ‘even’)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• ādriyante: they accept/respect
• ādriyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dṛ (धातु; ādriyate)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); आत्मनेपद

• anna: food
• anna: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• pānānām: of food and drink
• pānānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘annapāna’ = food and drink

• asmṛti: non-smṛti, not in smṛti
• asmṛti: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (compound member)

• uktam: (that) not prescribed in smṛti
• uktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘asmṛtyukta’ = not prescribed in smṛti; object of ādriyante

• kadācana: ever, at any time
• kadācana: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācana (अव्यय)
• Form: कालाव्यय (adverb of time; ‘ever/at any time’)

Speaker

Gaṇas (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃyaminī-purī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahābhāga interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rākṣasa-born yet disciplined residents performing daily rites: recitation, offering water, keeping clean vessels; refusing unsanctioned food offered by a dubious figure; calm, orderly domestic-ritual scenes inside the city.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Smṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual nobility is upheld through adherence to sacred norms—self-restraint and disciplined living define righteousness more than social origin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse highlights dharmic lifestyle within the described realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dietary discipline: not consuming food/drink that is contrary to Smṛti-sanctioned practice.