Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

एकैकस्मै द्विजायैव दत्तं जातु चरद्वयम् । वाडवस्य च यद्गोत्रं पुरा प्रोक्तं महीपते

Transliteration

ekaikasmai dvijāyaiva dattaṃ jātu caradvayam | vāḍavasya ca yadgotraṃ purā proktaṃ mahīpate

Translation

À chaque dvija, assurément, fut donné un couple d’assistants. Et quant au gotra de ce Vāḍava, il fut jadis proclamé, ô seigneur de la terre.

Word by Word

• एकैकस्मै: to each (one)
• एकैकस्मै: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (एकश्च एकश्च → एकैक) ‘to each one’

• द्विजाय: to a twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजाय: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/emphasis)

• दत्तम्: was given
• दत्तम्: Kriyā (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (क्त/PPP)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘was given’

• जातु: ever/at any time
• जातु: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb: ever/at any time)

• चरद्वयम्: a pair of grazing animals
• चरद्वयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (द्वे चरे)

• वाडवस्य: of Vāḍava
• वाडवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/and)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• गोत्रम्: lineage/clan
• गोत्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb: formerly)

• प्रोक्तम्: was stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriyā (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (क्त/PPP)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘was told’

• महीपते: O king
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक) = मही + पति
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Vyāsa (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahi-pati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Each brāhmaṇa is respectfully accompanied by two attendants carrying water pots, seats, and ritual items; an elder recites genealogical details of the Vāḍava gotra to a king, indicating formal record and tradition.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (twice-born)
• Vāḍava
• King (Mahīpati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is expressed through concrete support to sacred practitioners, while lineage traditions (gotra) are preserved as part of puranic social memory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya continues as the implied sacred setting where these dharmic provisions are enacted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dāna/sevā detail is reiterated: two attendants per dvija; the verse also signals a forthcoming/previous genealogical note about gotra.