Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

ये च भिन्नप्रपाप्रायास्त्रैविद्या मोढवंशजाः । तथा चातुर्वेदिनश्च कुर्वंति गोत्रपूजनम्

Transliteration

ye ca bhinnaprapāprāyāstraividyā moḍhavaṃśajāḥ | tathā cāturvedinaśca kurvaṃti gotrapūjanam

Translation

Und jene, die verschiedenen Abstammungslinien und Bräuchen zugeneigt sind—kundig in den drei Veden, aus der Moḍha-Linie geboren—sowie die Cāturvedins, Kenner aller vier Veden, vollziehen die Verehrung der Gotra und ehren so die Linie des Ahnen-Ṛṣi.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

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

• भिन्न-प्रपा-प्रायाः: mostly with separated/different water-sheds (i.e., of distinct prapā tradition)
• भिन्न-प्रपा-प्रायाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (कृदन्त, √भिद् + क्त) + प्रपा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भिन्ना प्रपा येषां ते / भिन्नप्रपाप्राय)

• त्रैविद्याः: those versed in the three Vedas/threefold knowledge
• त्रैविद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैविद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मोढ-वंश-जाः: born in the Moḍha lineage
• मोढ-वंश-जाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोढ (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √जन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मोढस्य वंशः; तस्मात् जाताः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'likewise/so')

• चातुर्वेदिनः: those who know the four Vedas
• चातुर्वेदिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्वेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• कुर्वन्ति: do; perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• गोत्र-पूजनम्: worship of the gotra (lineage)
• गोत्र-पूजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गोत्रस्य पूजनम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative instruction within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lineage-honoring worship: learned Brahmins reciting, a family altar with a small ṛṣi-symbol (pādukā or kuśa arrangement), offerings of water (tarpana) and flowers; subtle markers of regional attire indicating Moḍha tradition.

Characters & Entities

• Moḍha (lineage)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic learning is joined with ancestral responsibility: honoring one’s gotra is presented as a dharmic observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse discusses community/lineage practice within the Dharmāraṇya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gotra-pūjana—performing a rite of reverence to one’s gotra/ancestral lineage.