Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 270

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्गोत्रे द्विजा जाताः पूर्वोक्तगुणशालिनः

Transliteration

tasmingotre dvijā jātāḥ pūrvoktaguṇaśālinaḥ

Translation

તે ગોત્રમાં દ્વિજ જન્મે છે, જે પૂર્વે કહેલા ગુણોથી યુક્ત—ધર્મનિષ્ઠ અને શુચિ આચરણવાળા હોય છે.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गोत्रे: in the gotra
• गोत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• द्विजाः: twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• जाताः: were born
• जाताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP) ‘जात’ = born

• पूर्वोक्तगुणशालिनः: possessing the qualities stated earlier
• पूर्वोक्तगुणशालिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व-उक्त-गुण-शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विशेषणसमूहः: ‘पूर्वोक्त’ + ‘गुणशालिन्’ = possessing the previously mentioned qualities)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A closing tableau: a line of dvijas with sacred threads standing near a shrine, calm and disciplined, with subtle symbols of the earlier virtues—truth-vow gesture, clean water vessel, and a small fire altar—signifying continuity of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Gotra
• Dvi-ja (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual identity is validated by virtues—lineage is linked to the cultivation of the earlier-stated dharmic qualities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; it continues the Dharmāraṇya narrative about communities associated with the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse reinforces ethical qualification (guṇa) aligned with Vedic identity (dvija).