Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

धनाढ्यो जायते वैश्यः शूद्रो वै धर्मभाग्भवेत्

Transliteration

dhanāḍhyo jāyate vaiśyaḥ śūdro vai dharmabhāgbhavet

Translation

吠舍（vaiśya）得以富足而生；即便首陀罗（śūdra）亦能分得法（dharma）之分，成为具福德与义务者。

Word by Word

• धनाढ्यः: wealthy
• धनाढ्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धनेन/धनसम्बन्धेन आढ्यः)

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वैश्यः: a vaiśya
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शूद्रः: a śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• धर्मभाग्: a sharer in dharma/righteousness
• धर्मभाग्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य भागी)

• भवेत्: should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Revā Khaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta-like narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-mahātmya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mixed community satsang: merchants with account-scrolls and scales sit beside workers/servants; all listen equally to the Purāṇa recitation; Lakṣmī-like prosperity motif subtly near the vaiśya, and a dharma-symbol (balance/justice) near the śūdra, indicating ‘dharma-bhāga’.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing and honoring the Narmadā narrative elevates one’s fortune and dharmic standing, regardless of social station.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā) and her sacred region (Revā Khaṇḍa) are being praised through the promise of śravaṇa-phala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is śravaṇa—devout hearing of Narmadā-carita as a merit-generating observance.