Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अष्टषष्टिश्च गोत्राणामस्माकं चात्र संस्थिता । एतेन मूढमनसा सार्धं सामान्यलक्षणा

Transliteration

aṣṭaṣaṣṭiśca gotrāṇāmasmākaṃ cātra saṃsthitā | etena mūḍhamanasā sārdhaṃ sāmānyalakṣaṇā

Translation

«Et soixante-huit clans (gotras) des nôtres sont aussi établis ici ; avec cet homme à l’esprit égaré, ils portent les mêmes marques extérieures (de la communauté).»

Word by Word

• अष्टषष्टिः: sixty-eight
• अष्टषष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टषष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (अष्ट + षष्टि)

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

• गोत्राणाम्: of lineages/clans
• गोत्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: ‘here’)

• संस्थिता: is established/situated
• संस्थिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्थित/established’

• एतेन: with/by this
• एतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मूढमनसा: with a deluded mind
• मूढमनसा: Sahacarya/Instrumental associate (सह/तृतीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढमनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (मूढं मनः यस्य)

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable meaning ‘together with’)

• सामान्यलक्षणा: having common characteristics
• सामान्यलक्षणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सामान्यलक्षणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सामान्यं लक्षणं यस्याः)

Speaker

Resident brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ) (within Sūta’s narration; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gathering of brāhmaṇas representing many gotras, wearing similar external emblems; among them stands one person portrayed with a clouded aura (mūḍha-manas), visually contrasting inner state vs outer marks.

Characters & Entities

• gotra
• brāhmaṇa community (implicit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Shared lineage markers do not guarantee equal inner attainment; spiritual excellence is proven by practice and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks of a particular locality where many gotras reside; the exact tīrtha-name is supplied by adjacent verses in Adhyāya 107.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; it frames a social-religious context that motivates collective worship and austerity.