Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

वेदविच्च भविद्विप्रः क्षत्रियो राज्यमाप्नुयात् । धनं धान्यं तथा वैश्यः शूद्रः सुखमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

vedavicca bhavidvipraḥ kṣatriyo rājyamāpnuyāt | dhanaṃ dhānyaṃ tathā vaiśyaḥ śūdraḥ sukhamavāpnuyāt

Translation

婆罗门将成通达吠陀之智者；刹帝利将得王权与统治。吠舍得财与谷粮；首陀罗得安乐。

Word by Word

• वेदवित्: knower of the Veda
• वेदवित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + विद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (वेदं वेत्ति इति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• भवित्: will become
• भवित्: Kriya-arthaka (Predicative/भविष्यदर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: भविष्यत्काल-वाचक कृदन्त ‘भवितृ/भवित्’ (future agent noun); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘will become’ (elliptic with vipraḥ)

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियः: a kṣatriya
• क्षत्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राज्यम्: kingdom, sovereignty
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आप्नुयात्: may attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धान्यम्: grain, produce
• धान्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: likewise/so)

• वैश्यः: a vaiśya
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शूद्रः: a śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्नुयात्: may obtain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from continuing phalaśruti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A communal kathā in Dvārakā with four groups—brāhmaṇa students, a kṣatriya ruler, vaiśya merchants with grain, and śūdra householders—each receiving blessings from the recitation.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic merit is described as supporting dharma in society by granting fruits aligned with one’s duties and station.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, as part of the Dvārakā Māhātmya’s concluding praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implicit prescription remains Purāṇa hearing/recitation; this verse lists the resulting fruits by social role.