Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 127

Devanagari script

अष्टवर्षा भवेद्गौरी नववर्षा च रोहिणी । दशवर्षा भवेत्कन्या अत ऊर्ध्वं रजस्वला

Transliteration

aṣṭavarṣā bhavedgaurī navavarṣā ca rohiṇī | daśavarṣā bhavetkanyā ata ūrdhvaṃ rajasvalā

Translation

आठव्या वर्षी ती ‘गौरी’, नवव्या वर्षी ‘रोहिणी’; दहाव्या वर्षी ‘कन्या’ होय. त्यापुढे ती रजस्वला मानली जाते।

Word by Word

• अष्टवर्षा: eight-year-old
• अष्टवर्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट+वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (अष्ट वर्षाणि यस्याः/या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवेत्: would be / is called
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गौरी: Gaurī (name)
• गौरी: Karma (Predicate nominative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• नववर्षा: nine-year-old
• नववर्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव+वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• रोहिणी: Rohiṇī (name)
• रोहिणी: Karma (Predicate nominative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• दशवर्षा: ten-year-old
• दशवर्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश+वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवेत्: would be / is called
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कन्या: a maiden
• कन्या: Karma (Predicate nominative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• अतः: thereafter
• अतः: Hetu/Sequence (हेतु/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (thereafter/from this)

• ऊर्ध्वम्: beyond (that age)
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिशा/कालवाचक अव्यय (upwards/above; here: beyond)

• रजस्वला: menstruating
• रजस्वला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस्वला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic triptych: three young girls at ages eight, nine, ten, each labeled Gaurī, Rohiṇī, Kanyā; a calendar/lotus motif indicating time; elders observing with concern.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Rohiṇī
• Kanyā
• Rajasvalā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder dharma emphasizes timely responsibility and protection of dependents, expressed here through traditional age-based designations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it is a dharma statement embedded in a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; it provides traditional classifications relevant to social and marital duties.