Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । कथं च जायते गोत्रं कथं तु ज्ञायते कुलम् । कथं वा ज्ञायते देवी तद्वदस्व यथार्थतः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | kathaṃ ca jāyate gotraṃ kathaṃ tu jñāyate kulam | kathaṃ vā jñāyate devī tadvadasva yathārthataḥ

Translation

नारद बोले—गोत्र कैसे उत्पन्न होता है, और कुल कैसे जाना जाता है? तथा देवी कैसे पहचानी जाती है? यह मुझे सत्य और स्पष्ट रूप से कहिए।

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• जायते: arises/is born
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• गोत्रम्: gotra/lineage
• गोत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case; here subject of passive-like intransitive), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• ज्ञायते: is known/ascertained
• ज्ञायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• कुलम्: family/clan
• कुलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case; subject of passive), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• ज्ञायते: is known
• ज्ञायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• देवी: the goddess (deity)
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वदस्व: tell/say
• वदस्व: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथार्थतः: truthfully/accurately
• यथार्थतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथार्थतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svasthāna (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, holding vīṇā, respectfully questions Brahmā seated on a lotus; the background shows a forest-hermitage ambience suggesting Dharmāraṇyaka; the scene emphasizes inquiry and precise instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Gotra
• Kula
• Devī (lineage deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A seeker should inquire into dharma with precision—understanding lineage and its sacred markers to perform rites correctly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discussion supports the Svasthāna/Dharmāraṇya context by clarifying how residents’ ritual identities are determined.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse requests authoritative criteria for determining gotra, kula, and the associated deity.