Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

गायत्री वेदजननी गायत्री ब्राह्मणप्रसूः । गातारं त्रायते यस्माद्गायत्री तेन गीयते

Transliteration

gāyatrī vedajananī gāyatrī brāhmaṇaprasūḥ | gātāraṃ trāyate yasmādgāyatrī tena gīyate

Translation

Gāyatrī is the mother of the Vedas; Gāyatrī gives birth to brāhmaṇas. Because she protects (trāyate) the singer/reciter (gātā), she is therefore called ‘Gāyatrī’.

Word by Word

• gāyatrī: Gāyatrī
• gāyatrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (गायत्री; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• veda-jananī: mother of the Veda(s)
• veda-jananī: Samānādhikaraṇa (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda-jananī (वेद + जननी; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य जननी)

• gāyatrī: Gāyatrī
• gāyatrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (गायत्री; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• brāhmaṇa-prasūḥ: progenitress of brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-prasūḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa-prasū (ब्राह्मण + प्रसू; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्राह्मणानां प्रसूः = producer/mother of brahmins)

• gātāram: the singer/chanter
• gātāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gātṛ (गातृ; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• trāyate: protects/saves
• trāyate: Kriya (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √trā (त्रा; धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• yasmāt: because/from which
• yasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (cause/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्; सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; relative pronoun 'from which/because'

• gāyatrī: Gāyatrī
• gāyatrī: Karta (Subject/standard)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (गायत्री; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tena: therefore/for that reason
• tena: Hetu (reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्; सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; 'therefore/by that reason'

• gīyate: is sung/is called
• gīyate: Kriya (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gai (गै; धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): 'is sung/called'

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gāyatrī as a radiant mother-figure emanating three streams representing Ṛg, Yajus, Sāman; from her light arise disciplined students (brahmacārins) holding kuśa and manuscripts. A protective aura encircles a reciter, illustrating ‘trāyate’.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Veda
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra is a living refuge: Gāyatrī safeguards the practitioner and is revered as the generative source of Vedic wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa context frames this teaching, aligning Kāśī with Vedic recitation, mantra, and spiritual protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied prescription: recitation/japa of Gāyatrī, emphasizing its protective efficacy for the chanter.