Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

ततः संजनयामास तस्यां पुत्रं गुणान्वितम् । कात्यायनाभिधानं च यज्ञ विद्याविचक्षणम्

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃjanayāmāsa tasyāṃ putraṃ guṇānvitam | kātyāyanābhidhānaṃ ca yajña vidyāvicakṣaṇam

Translation

പിന്നീട് അവളിൽ അവൻ ഗുണസമ്പന്നനായ ഒരു പുത്രനെ ജനിപ്പിച്ചു—‘കാത്യായനൻ’ എന്ന നാമധേയൻ, യജ്ഞവിദ്യയിൽ നിപുണനും വിവേകിയുമായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/क्रम) — ‘thereafter’

• संजजनयामास: begot
• संजजनयामास: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-jan (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘begot/caused to be born’

• तस्याम्: in her
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — ‘in her’

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — ‘son’

• गुणान्वितम्: endowed with virtues
• गुणान्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः ‘गुणैः अन्वितः’

• कात्यायनाभिधानम्: named Kātyāyana
• कात्यायनाभिधानम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kātyāyana (प्रातिपदिक) + abhidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः ‘कात्यायनम् अभिधानं यस्य/यत्’ (named Kātyāyana)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/संयोजक) — ‘and’

• यज्ञ: (pertaining to) sacrifice
• यज्ञ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — (पाठान्तर/सम्बोधनवत्) ‘yajña’ as epithet; here as qualifier to next adjective

• विद्याविचक्षणम्: skilled in knowledge
• विद्याविचक्षणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक) + vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः ‘विद्यायां विचक्षणः’ (skilled in learning)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Skanda Purāṇa narrative frame in Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blessing-filled scene of childbirth/infant presentation in an āśrama setting: elders and brāhmaṇas acknowledge a newborn destined for yajña-knowledge, with ritual implements subtly present (darbhā, kuśa, ladles).

Characters & Entities

• Kātyāyana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit and dharma manifest as virtuous progeny devoted to Vedic knowledge and sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights expertise in yajña-vidyā (Vedic sacrificial science) rather than a specific vow or donation.