Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणानां गवां चैव कुलमेकं द्विधा स्थितम् । एकत्र मन्त्रास्तिष्ठंति हविरेकत्र संस्थितम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānāṃ gavāṃ caiva kulamekaṃ dvidhā sthitam | ekatra mantrāstiṣṭhaṃti havirekatra saṃsthitam

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരുടെയും ഗോകുലത്തിന്റെയും വംശം ഒന്നുതന്നെ; എന്നാൽ അത് രണ്ടുരൂപത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു—ഒരിടത്ത് മന്ത്രങ്ങൾ വസിക്കുന്നു, മറ്റിടത്ത് ഹവിസ് (ആഹുതി) സ്ഥാപിതമാണ്।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गवाम्: of the cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कुलम्: family/lineage
• कुलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying कुलम्)

• द्विधा: in two parts
• द्विधा: Adhikaraṇa (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dvidhā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: 'in two ways')

• स्थितम्: is situated/placed
• स्थितम्: Kriya (State predicate/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) + sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• एकत्र: in one place
• एकत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ekatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'in one place')

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तिष्ठन्ति: stand/are present
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• हविः: oblation
• हविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• एकत्र: in another/one place
• एकत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ekatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संस्थितम्: is placed/established
• संस्थितम्: Kriya (State predicate/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-sthā (धातु) + saṃsthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta-style narration within Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic diptych: on one side brāhmaṇas chanting Veda (mantras), on the other cows associated with ghee and offerings (havis), both forming a single sacred lineage.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Cows (Gāvaḥ)
• Mantra
• Havis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It sacralizes both mantra (spiritual authority) and havis (ritual sustenance), urging reverence for brāhmaṇas and cows as twin supports of yajña-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse offers a doctrinal statement within the māhātmya; the site-glorification is developed in the chapter’s wider narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, proper yajña requires both mantra-recitation and offering of havis; the verse emphasizes their complementary seats.