Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सा च गर्भसमोपेता यदा जाता द्विजोत्तमाः । तीर्थयात्रापरा साध्वी जाता व्रतपरायणा

Transliteration

sā ca garbhasamopetā yadā jātā dvijottamāḥ | tīrthayātrāparā sādhvī jātā vrataparāyaṇā

Translation

Wahai yang terbaik di antara kaum dwija, ketika ia mengandung, wanita suci itu menekuni ziarah ke tīrtha dan teguh berpegang pada laku tapa serta kaul suci.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• गर्भ-सम्-उपेता: having conceived; with child
• गर्भ-सम्-उपेता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्-उप-इ (धातु) → उपेत (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• जाता: born; became
• जाता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण

• द्विज-उत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विज-उत्तमाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (addressing)

• तीर्थ-यात्रा-परा: devoted to pilgrimage
• तीर्थ-यात्रा-परा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• साध्वी: the virtuous woman
• साध्वी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जाता: became
• जाता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण

• व्रत-परायणा: wholly devoted to vows
• व्रत-परायणा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ / dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pregnant noble woman, serene and resolute, traveling with minimal attendants toward a sacred ford/temple, holding a vow-string or water-pot, her face calm with devotion.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha-yātrā
• vrata
• dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pregnancy is framed as a sacred period for intensified dharma—pilgrimage, vows, and purity—so that the lineage is spiritually elevated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha-yātrā generally within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context; the wider unit is associated with Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It recommends vrata (vowed observances) and tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) as dharmic practices, without naming a specific ritual procedure.