Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 156

Devanagari script

कुलं गोत्रं निजं ब्रूहि प्रवरांश्च विशेषतः । स्थानं देशं च विप्राणां येन शुद्धिः प्रदीयते

Transliteration

kulaṃ gotraṃ nijaṃ brūhi pravarāṃśca viśeṣataḥ | sthānaṃ deśaṃ ca viprāṇāṃ yena śuddhiḥ pradīyate

Translation

നിന്റെ കുലവും ഗോത്രവും പറയുക; പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് പ്രവരങ്ങളും വ്യക്തമാക്കുക; കൂടാതെ ബ്രാഹ്മണരുടെ സ്ഥലം-ദേശവും പറയുക—അതിനാൽ ശുദ്ധികർമ്മം നൽകപ്പെടും।

Word by Word

• कुलम्: family/lineage
• कुलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म); एकवचन

• गोत्रम्: clan/gotra
• गोत्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म); एकवचन

• निजम्: your own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (कुल/गोत्रयोः)

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रवरान्: (your) pravaras
• प्रवरान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म); बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (especially/in particular)

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म); एकवचन

• देशम्: region/country
• देशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म); एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• विप्राणाम्: of brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध); बहुवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण); एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (by which)

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता); एकवचन

• प्रदीयते: is given/bestowed
• प्रदीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (local priests/elders) addressing an unknown pilgrim

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmasthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Elder brāhmaṇas formally question the trembling man: ‘state your kula, gotra, pravara, and homeland,’ as if opening a ritual inquiry to decide purification.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• kula
• gotra
• pravara
• śuddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity in sacred rites is upheld through truthful self-disclosure and correct ritual identifiers (kula, gotra, pravara) in accordance with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context; the immediate snippet emphasizes tīrtha-based śuddhi procedures rather than naming a single tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prerequisite for granting śuddhi (purificatory acceptance) is stating one’s kula, gotra, pravaras, and regional origin.