Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

बहु पुत्रस्य चैका सा सर्वलक्षणलक्षिता । तस्मात्कर्णोत्पलानाम जायतां द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

bahu putrasya caikā sā sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitā | tasmātkarṇotpalānāma jāyatāṃ dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

„Obwohl ich viele Söhne habe, ist sie allein meine Tochter, mit allen glückverheißenden Merkmalen gezeichnet. Darum, o Beste der Zweimalgeborenen, soll ihr Name ‘Karṇotpalā’ sein.“

Word by Word

• bahu: much; many
• bahu: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; अव्ययवत् परिमाणविशेषणम् (much/many)

• putrasya: of the son
• putrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• ekā: one (single)
• ekā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• sarva-lakṣaṇa-lakṣitā: endowed/marked with all (auspicious) signs
• sarva-lakṣaṇa-lakṣitā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (sarva-lakṣaṇaiḥ lakṣitā = marked with all auspicious signs)

• tasmāt: therefore; from that
• tasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• karṇotpalānām: of (those) named Karṇotpala
• karṇotpalānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + utpala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (karṇa-utpala = ear-lotus; name)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः ‘नाम’ (quotative/नाम-शब्दः: “by name”)

• jāyatām: let (them) be born
• jāyatām: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; √jan = to be born

• dvija-sattamāḥ: O best of Brahmins (twice-born)
• dvija-sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम्; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (O best of twice-born)

Speaker

King (addressing the brāhmaṇas / dvija-sattamas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karṇotpalā (implied eponym)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijasattamāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in court, surrounded by brāhmaṇas, declares the auspicious name of his only daughter among many sons; the girl is shown with śubha-lakṣaṇas (auspicious marks), lotus imagery hinted by the name Karṇotpalā.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)
• Karṇotpalā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is enacted through reverence to brāhmaṇic counsel and sanctified rites, which anchor personal events to sacred tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Karṇotpalā Tīrtha, whose Māhātmya is being unfolded through the naming narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Formal naming with brāhmaṇas present—publicly establishing the child’s auspicious name in a dharmic manner.