Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

ये च भिन्नप्रपाप्रायास्त्रैविद्या मोढवंशजाः । तथा चातुर्वेदिनश्च कुर्वंति गोत्रपूजनम्

Transliteration

ye ca bhinnaprapāprāyāstraividyā moḍhavaṃśajāḥ | tathā cāturvedinaśca kurvaṃti gotrapūjanam

Translation

Et ceux qui suivent des lignées et des coutumes distinctes—savants des trois Veda, nés dans la lignée Moḍha—ainsi que les Cāturvedin, connaisseurs des quatre Veda, accomplissent le culte du gotra, honorant la lignée du ṛṣi ancestral.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• भिन्न-प्रपा-प्रायाः: mostly with separated/different water-sheds (i.e., of distinct prapā tradition)
• भिन्न-प्रपा-प्रायाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (कृदन्त, √भिद् + क्त) + प्रपा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भिन्ना प्रपा येषां ते / भिन्नप्रपाप्राय)

• त्रैविद्याः: those versed in the three Vedas/threefold knowledge
• त्रैविद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैविद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मोढ-वंश-जाः: born in the Moḍha lineage
• मोढ-वंश-जाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोढ (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √जन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मोढस्य वंशः; तस्मात् जाताः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'likewise/so')

• चातुर्वेदिनः: those who know the four Vedas
• चातुर्वेदिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्वेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कुर्वन्ति: do; perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• गोत्र-पूजनम्: worship of the gotra (lineage)
• गोत्र-पूजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गोत्रस्य पूजनम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative instruction within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lineage-honoring worship: learned Brahmins reciting, a family altar with a small ṛṣi-symbol (pādukā or kuśa arrangement), offerings of water (tarpana) and flowers; subtle markers of regional attire indicating Moḍha tradition.

Characters & Entities

• Moḍha (lineage)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic learning is joined with ancestral responsibility: honoring one’s gotra is presented as a dharmic observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse discusses community/lineage practice within the Dharmāraṇya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gotra-pūjana—performing a rite of reverence to one’s gotra/ancestral lineage.