Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

गौतमी ब्राह्मणी नाम्ना सती साध्वी पतिव्रता । बालवैधव्यसंप्राप्ता तीर्थयात्रापरायणा

Transliteration

gautamī brāhmaṇī nāmnā satī sādhvī pativratā | bālavaidhavyasaṃprāptā tīrthayātrāparāyaṇā

Translation

„Es gab eine Brahmanenfrau namens Gautamī—tugendhaft, rein, eine fromme pativratā, ihrem Gatten treu ergeben. Schon in jungen Jahren verwitwet, widmete sie sich ganz den Pilgerfahrten zu heiligen Stätten.“

Word by Word

• गौतमी: Gautamī
• गौतमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणी: a Brahmin woman
• ब्राह्मणी: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; जातिवाचक/व्यक्तिवाचक

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘by name’

• सती: virtuous
• सती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-सम्भव), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘virtuous/true’

• साध्वी: chaste, good woman
• साध्वी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पतिव्रता: devoted to her husband
• पतिव्रता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पति-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक); पति (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘devoted to her husband’

• बालवैधव्यसंप्राप्ता: widowed in childhood
• बालवैधव्यसंप्राप्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल-वैधव्य-सम्प्राप्त (प्रातिपदिक); बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + वैधव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘having attained widowhood in childhood’

• तीर्थयात्रापरायणा: devoted to pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्रापरायणा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ-यात्रा-परायण (प्रातिपदिक); तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha (narrative lead-in)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Portrait-like introduction of Gautamī: a young widowed brāhmaṇī, austere yet radiant, carrying minimal belongings, setting out on pilgrimage with resolute devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Gautamī
• Nāga-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Personal suffering can be transformed into dharmic resolve; pilgrimage is presented as a path of healing and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative setup points toward Nāga-tīrtha at Arbuda where the forthcoming event occurs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) is upheld as a recommended dharmic practice, especially in times of hardship.