Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवं तत्र पुरे तेन भूभुजा सुमहात्मना । अष्टषष्टिं च संस्थाप्य गोत्राणां निर्वृतिः कृता

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evaṃ tatra pure tena bhūbhujā sumahātmanā | aṣṭaṣaṣṭiṃ ca saṃsthāpya gotrāṇāṃ nirvṛtiḥ kṛtā

Translation

सूतजी बोले—इस प्रकार उस नगर में उस महात्मा राजा ने अड़सठ गोत्रों की विधिपूर्वक स्थापना की और ब्राह्मण कुलों को शांति तथा निर्भयता प्रदान की।

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta (the narrator)
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• pure: in the city
• pure: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tena: by him
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• bhūbhujā: by the king (earth-enjoyer)
• bhūbhujā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-bhuj (प्रातिपदिक; भुवं भुङ्क्ते इति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• su-mahātmanā: by the very great-souled one
• su-mahātmanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + mahā-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• aṣṭaṣaṣṭim: sixty-eight
• aṣṭaṣaṣṭim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa-ṣaṣṭi (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• saṃsthāpya: having established
• saṃsthāpya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having established)

• gotrāṇām: of the lineages (gotras)
• gotrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• nirvṛtiḥ: settlement/relief/cessation
• nirvṛtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirvṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• kṛtā: was done/made
• kṛtā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharmic king in a fortified city formally ‘establishes’ sixty-eight gotras—depicted as a ceremonial assembly of brāhmaṇas receiving protection and settlement charters, with Sūta narrating to sages.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic rulership includes protecting learned communities and establishing social stability in harmony with sacred tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The account remains within a tīrthamāhātmya narrative tied to a particular city; this verse emphasizes the city’s dharmic order rather than naming a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it records the establishment/settlement (saṃsthāpana) of gotras as a dharmic act.