Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 131

Devanagari script

ईदृग्भव्यतरो भूत्वा कस्मान्माधुकरीं गतः । किं गोत्रं तव मे ब्रूहि कतमः प्रवरश्च ते

Transliteration

īdṛgbhavyataro bhūtvā kasmānmādhukarīṃ gataḥ | kiṃ gotraṃ tava me brūhi katamaḥ pravaraśca te

Translation

„Bei so edler Erscheinung—warum hast du die mādhukarī (vom Sammeln kleiner Almosen zu leben) ergriffen? Sage mir deinen Gotra und welcher Pravara der deine ist.“

Word by Word

• ईदृक्: such, of this kind
• ईदृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश्/ईदृक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्राय विशेषण (indeclinable-like adjective), ‘एतादृश’ अर्थे; भव्यतरः इत्यस्य विशेषण

• भव्यतरः: more splendid/fortunate
• भव्यतरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्यय-कृदन्त (क्त्वा), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• कस्मात्: from what (reason)
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; प्रश्न

• माधुकरीम्: mendicant alms-round (mādhukarī)
• माधुकरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधुकरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• गतः: gone, resorted to
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे (predicate)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्न

• गोत्रम्: clan, lineage
• गोत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी (4th/6th), एकवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) ‘मम’ अर्थे

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कतमः: which (one)
• कतमः: Visheshya (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्न-विशेषण

• प्रवरः: (your) pravara (ancestral seers set)
• प्रवरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• ते: of you, your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta) reporting the mahātmā’s speech (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close conversational scene: the questioner gestures toward the mendicant’s radiant body and simple begging bowl, asking why such a noble person follows mādhukarī; subtle emphasis on the bowl, staff, and ochre cloth.

Characters & Entities

• Mādhukarī
• Gotra
• Pravara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights traditional markers of identity (gotra/pravara) and the social expectation that one’s conduct aligns with one’s stated station.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this specific verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; mādhukarī is a livelihood practice referenced in a conversational context.