Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

चतुर्थी क्षेमला प्रोक्ता गोत्रमाता अनुक्रमात् । अस्मिन्गोत्रे तु ये जाताः पंचयज्ञरताः सदा

Transliteration

caturthī kṣemalā proktā gotramātā anukramāt | asmingotre tu ye jātāḥ paṃcayajñaratāḥ sadā

Translation

In proper sequence, the fourth ancestress of the lineage is declared to be Kṣemalā, the “mother of the gotra.” Those born in this gotra are ever devoted to the five daily sacrifices (pañca-yajñas).

Word by Word

• चतुर्थी: the fourth (one) / Caturthī
• चतुर्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संज्ञापद (नाम)

• क्षेमला: Kṣemalā (name)
• क्षेमला: Samanadhikarana (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेमला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संज्ञापद

• प्रोक्ता: is declared/said (to be)
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is said/called’

• गोत्रमाता: mother of the gotra
• गोत्रमाता: Samanadhikarana (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र + माता (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोत्रस्य माता)

• अनुक्रमात्: in due order / sequentially
• अनुक्रमात्: Adhikarana/Hetu (Adverbial/अव्ययार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः; तृतीया/पञ्चमी-अर्थे ‘क्रमेण/अनुक्रमेण’ (by sequence)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गोत्रे: in the gotra
• गोत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• जाताः: born
• जाताः: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘born’ (predicate with ये)

• पंचयज्ञरताः: devoted to the five sacrifices
• पंचयज्ञरताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + यज्ञ + रत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसदृशः (पञ्चसु यज्ञेषु रताः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice addressing a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm genealogical recital: sages enumerating gotra-mothers; a household scene showing pañca-yajña—fire offering, svādhyāya, tarpana at water, feeding guests and creatures.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣemalā
• Pañca-yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True lineage is shown through dharma—steady commitment to the pañca-yajñas and daily sacred duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Dharmāraṇya sacred region is the setting; this verse focuses on gotra lineage rather than a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotion to the pañca-yajñas—daily offerings and duties traditionally including deva-, pitṛ-, bhūta-, manuṣya-, and brahma-yajña.