Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यतः सुवर्णतिलको जन्मना सह भारत । ततः सा रुक्मिणीनाम ब्राह्मणैः कीर्तिता तदा

Transliteration

yataḥ suvarṇatilako janmanā saha bhārata | tataḥ sā rukmiṇīnāma brāhmaṇaiḥ kīrtitā tadā

Translation

Parce qu’elle portait, dès la naissance, un signe d’or sur le front, ô Bhārata, les brāhmanes proclamèrent alors son nom : « Rukmiṇī ».

Word by Word

• यतः: because/for the reason that
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक-सम्बन्धबोधक (from which/because) — Indeclinable; causal/ablatival sense

• सुवर्ण-तिलकः: a golden tilaka-mark
• सुवर्ण-तिलकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + तिलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुवर्णस्य तिलकः)

• जन्मना: by birth
• जन्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद — Indeclinable; 'together with'

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ततः: therefore/then
• ततः: Hetu-phala (Result marker/फल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः (therefore/then) — Indeclinable; inferential/temporal adverb

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• रुक्मिणी-नाम: named ‘Rukmiṇī’
• रुक्मिणी-नाम: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (रुक्मिणी इति नाम यस्याः)

• ब्राह्मणैः: by the brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कीर्तिता: was proclaimed/named
• कीर्तिता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (णिच्, धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past passive participle; Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then) — Indeclinable; temporal adverb

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on the infant’s forehead bearing a radiant golden tilaka; brāhmaṇas gesture in recognition while proclaiming the name; the mother rests in the sūtikāgṛha.

Characters & Entities

• Rukmiṇī
• Brāhmaṇas
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Bhārata)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious signs signal dharmic destiny; names in Purāṇic tradition often preserve a sacred attribute and purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, Rukmiṇī’s sanctified identity supports the māhātmya of Rukmiṇī Tīrtha discussed in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it explains the auspicious basis for her naming.