Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

गायत्रीपाठमात्रांश्च विकर्मविरतान् सदा । पुनर्भूवृषलीशूद्री चरेयुर्यस्य मन्दिरे

Transliteration

gāyatrīpāṭhamātrāṃśca vikarmaviratān sadā | punarbhūvṛṣalīśūdrī careyuryasya mandire

Translation

ഗായത്രീപാഠം മാത്രമേ ചെയ്യുന്നവരായാലും, നിഷിദ്ധകർമ്മങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് എപ്പോഴും വിരമിക്കുന്നവർ—അവന്റെ ഗൃഹത്തിൽ പുനർഭൂ, വൃഷലീ, ശൂദ്രീ സ്ത്രീകളും ദോഷമില്ലാതെ സഞ്ചരിക്കാം।

Word by Word

• गायत्री: of/pertaining to the Gāyatrī (mantra)
• गायत्री: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (अव्यक्त-सम्बन्धः; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन) / Feminine, genitive-relation sense, singular (as prior member in compound)

• पाठ: recitation
• पाठ: Upapada component (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (समासमध्यपदत्वेन) / Masculine, nominative/accusative singular (as compound member)

• मात्रान्: only/merely (limited to)
• मात्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन / Masculine, accusative plural

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• विकर्म: forbidden acts, improper rites
• विकर्म: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन) / Neuter, genitive-relation sense (as prior member)

• विरतान्: refraining (from), abstinent
• विरतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + रम् (धातु) → विरत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन / Past participle (kta), masculine, accusative plural

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पुनर्भू: a remarried woman (punarbhū)
• पुनर्भू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुनर्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन / Feminine, nominative singular

• वृषली: a low-caste woman (vṛṣalī)
• वृषली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन / Feminine, nominative singular

• शूद्री: a Śūdra woman
• शूद्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन / Feminine, nominative singular

• चरेयुः: should move about / should frequent
• चरेयुः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन / Optative, 3rd person, plural

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन / Pronoun, genitive singular

• मन्दिरे: in the house/temple
• मन्दिरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन / Neuter, locative singular

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Revā Khaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined householder recites Gāyatrī at dawn; the household is portrayed as orderly and restrained, with clear social boundaries and a sense of ritual propriety.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• vikarma
• punarbhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual recitation alone is not the standard; consistent avoidance of prohibited conduct is essential for dharmic standing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Someshvara-centered narrative of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A criterion of eligibility/fitness in household religious contexts: abstaining from vikarma as a core requirement.