Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

पञ्चमं जातकर्म स्यान्नाम वै षष्ठमुच्यते । निष्क्रामः सप्तमश्चैव ह्यन्नप्राशनमष्टमम्

Transliteration

pañcamaṃ jātakarma syānnāma vai ṣaṣṭhamucyate | niṣkrāmaḥ saptamaścaiva hyannaprāśanamaṣṭamam

Translation

അഞ്ചാമത്തെ സംസ്കാരം ജാതകർമ്മം; ആറാമത് നാമകരണം എന്നു പറയുന്നു. ഏഴാമത് നിഷ്ക്രമണം (ആദ്യമായി പുറത്തേക്ക് പോകൽ), എട്ടാമത് അന്നപ്രാശനം (ആദ്യ അന്നസേവനം).

Word by Word

• pañcamam: the fifth
• pañcamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• jātakarma: the birth-rite (jātakarma)
• jātakarma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāta (कृदन्त, √jan) + karma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थे ‘जातस्य कर्म’

• syāt: should be / is to be
• syāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• nāma: the naming (ceremony)
• nāma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अवधारण/प्रमाणार्थक

• ṣaṣṭham: the sixth
• ṣaṣṭham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• ucyate: is said / is called
• ucyate: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• niṣkrāmaḥ: the going-out rite (niṣkramaṇa)
• niṣkrāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣkrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; संस्कारविशेषः

• saptamaḥ: the seventh
• saptamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

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

• eva: indeed / just
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• hi: for / indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/प्रमाणार्थ

• annaprāśanam: the first-feeding rite (annaprāśana)
• annaprāśanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक) + prāśana (प्रातिपदिक; √aś/√prāś)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘अन्नस्य प्राशनम्’

• aṣṭamam: the eighth
• aṣṭamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm domestic ritual scene: elders performing Jātakarma for a newborn, then naming, first outing with auspicious lamps, and first feeding (annaprāśana) with blessings; Vedic implements, kusa grass, and a small household altar.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Jātakarma
• Nāmakaraṇa
• Niṣkramaṇa
• Annaprāśana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma accompanies a child from birth onward through sanctifying rites that shape identity, purity, and community belonging.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse is a dharmic enumeration within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes/mentions early-life saṃskāras: Jātakarma, Nāmakaraṇa, Niṣkramaṇa, and Annaprāśana.