Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

जातकर्म स्वयं चक्रे तस्य देवः पितामहः । श्रुतिं विचार्य तद्रूपां नाम्ना गृहपतिस्त्वयम्

Transliteration

jātakarma svayaṃ cakre tasya devaḥ pitāmahaḥ | śrutiṃ vicārya tadrūpāṃ nāmnā gṛhapatistvayam

Translation

Für ihn vollzog der göttliche Pitāmaha (Brahmā) selbst die Geburtsriten. Nachdem er die zu jener Gestalt passende Śruti erwogen hatte, verkündete er: „Dein Name soll Gṛhapati sein.“

Word by Word

• जात-कर्म: the birth-rite (jātakarma)
• जात-कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन्) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जातस्य कर्म = birth-rite)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः कर्तृत्व-प्रदर्शक (reflexive adverb: 'himself')

• चक्रे: performed/did
• चक्रे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पितामहः: the grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; देवः इति समानाधिकरण

• श्रुतिम्: the Vedic revelation / scripture
• श्रुतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विचार्य: having considered
• विचार्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + √चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; अर्थः 'considering'

• तद्-रूपाम्: of that form (corresponding to it)
• तद्-रूपाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (तद्रूपा = of that form), श्रुतिम् इति विशेषण

• नाम्ना: by name / with the name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• गृहपतिः: Gṛhapati (lord of the house)
• गृहपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नामरूपेण (as the designation)

• त्वयम्: you
• त्वयम्: Sambodhana/Prayojya-karta (Addressed subject/सम्बोधन-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वैदिक/छान्दस रूप (त्वम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā as divine grandsire performs jāta-karma for the child; then, after contemplating the appropriate śruti, he proclaims the name ‘Gṛhapati’.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Jātakarma
• Śruti
• Gṛhapati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through Śruti-guided saṁskāras; even divine narratives affirm the sanctity of Vedic rites and right naming.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśīkhaṇḍa context (Kāśī) frames the account, though this verse focuses on saṁskāra rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jātakarma (birth rite) and the Śruti-based determination of a name are mentioned.