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

ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ! അവൾ ഗർഭിണിയായപ്പോൾ ആ സാധ്വി തീർത്ഥയാത്രകളിൽ പരായണയായി, വ്രതങ്ങളിൽ ദൃഢനിഷ്ഠയുള്ളവളായി മാറി।

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.