Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

एवं मे कन्यका जाता गुरुत्वे द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

evaṃ me kanyakā jātā gurutve dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

Ainsi, ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés, une jeune fille me naquit — destinée à une dignité vénérable, telle une guide et une autorité.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kanyakā: a maiden/daughter
• kanyakā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• jātā: was born/became
• jātā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (जन्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘born/has become’

• gurutve: in the state of being a guru/teacherhood
• gurutve: Adhikaraṇa (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gurutva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state/condition)

• dvija-sattamāḥ: O best of the twice-born
• dvija-sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक; superlative)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानां सत्तमाः) संबोधनार्थे प्रयुक्त

Speaker

Unnamed narrator (addressing brāhmaṇas); framed later by Sūta’s narration in this section

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (best of twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified maiden with a calm, teacher-like presence, standing beside an ascetic father figure and assembled brāhmaṇas; subtle iconography of learning (palm-leaf manuscript, rosary) without overt deification.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual authority (gurutva) is portrayed as arising through destiny and dharmic maturation, not merely social convention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this standalone verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.