Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

चतुर्विशतिगोत्राणि द्विजानां पांडवर्षभ । तेषां शाखाः प्रशाखाश्च पुत्रपौत्रादयस्तथा

Transliteration

caturviśatigotrāṇi dvijānāṃ pāṃḍavarṣabha | teṣāṃ śākhāḥ praśākhāśca putrapautrādayastathā

Translation

हे पांडवश्रेष्ठ, द्विजांची चोवीस गोत्रे आहेत; तसेच त्यांच्या शाखा-प्रशाखा आणि पुत्र-पौत्रादी परंपराही आहेत।

Word by Word

• चतुर्विंशतिगोत्राणि: twenty-four clans/gotras
• चतुर्विंशतिगोत्राणि: Karta (Subject of nominal sentence)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्विंशति-गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (चतुर्विंशतिः गोत्राणि)

• द्विजानाम्: of the twice-born
• द्विजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पाण्डवर्षभ: O bull among the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवर्षभ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव-ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पाण्डवानां ऋषभः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शाखाः: branches (Vedic schools/lines)
• शाखाः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रशाखाः: sub-branches
• प्रशाखाः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• पुत्रपौत्रादयः: sons, grandsons, and others
• पुत्रपौत्रादयः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र-पौत्र-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (पुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च) + ‘आदि’ (etc.)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic yet sacred depiction: Vyāsa explaining ‘twenty-four gotras’ with branching trees representing śākhās and praśākhās; disciples note down names; Dharmāraṇya hermitages behind.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)
• Dvija (twice-born)
• Gotra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved through clearly remembered lineages (gotra) and disciplined transmission across generations and scholastic branches.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discussion is situated within Dharmāraṇya, highlighting it as a locus where Vedic lineages are established and remembered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse frames the forthcoming traditional enumeration of gotras and their branches.