Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

ज्ञात्वा तु गोत्रदेवीं च तथा प्रवरमेव च । स्वस्थानं जायते चैव द्विजाः स्वस्थानवासिनः

Transliteration

jñātvā tu gotradevīṃ ca tathā pravarameva ca | svasthānaṃ jāyate caiva dvijāḥ svasthānavāsinaḥ

Translation

But by knowing the presiding deity of one’s gotra, and likewise one’s pravara, Svasthāna is truly constituted—the twice-born who dwell in Svasthāna become established in their rightful identity.

Word by Word

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• गोत्रदेवीम्: the gotra-deity
• गोत्रदेवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्रदेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोत्रस्य देवी)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse adverb/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• प्रवरम्: the pravara
• प्रवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• स्वस्थानम्: the settlement (Svasthāna)
• स्वस्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य स्थानम्)

• जायते: arises/comes into being
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्विजाः: Brahmins / twice-born
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• स्वस्थानवासिनः: residing in Svasthāna
• स्वस्थानवासिनः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वस्थान + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्थाने वासिनः)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svasthāna

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dvija families in Svasthāna gather around a teacher; each recites gotra and pravara while a small shrine to a feminine lineage-deity (gotra-devī) stands nearby; the settlement appears orderly and sanctified.

Characters & Entities

• Svasthāna
• Gotradevī
• Pravara
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred belonging is not merely geographical; it is upheld through correct knowledge of lineage-deity and pravara used in dharmic rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Svasthāna is presented as a sanctified settlement whose residents are defined through dharmic-ritual lineage markers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Knowing one’s gotradevī and pravara—key identifiers recited/used in Vedic and smārta rituals.