Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

गोत्रं स्वरांतं सर्वत्र गोत्रे तर्पणकर्मणि । गोत्राय कल्पनविधौ गोत्रस्याक्षय्यदापने

Transliteration

gotraṃ svarāṃtaṃ sarvatra gotre tarpaṇakarmaṇi | gotrāya kalpanavidhau gotrasyākṣayyadāpane

Translation

गोत्रनाव योग्य स्वरासह सर्वत्र उच्चारावे. तर्पणकर्मात ‘गोत्रे’, कल्पना/विनियोगविधीत ‘गोत्राय’, आणि अक्षय्य-दानात ‘गोत्रस्य’ हे रूप वापरावे.

Word by Word

• गोत्रम्: clan lineage (gotra)
• गोत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• स्वरान्तम्: ending in a vowel
• स्वरान्तम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वरान्त (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर + अन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (गोत्रम्)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere; in all contexts
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• गोत्रे: in/with the gotra (form)
• गोत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तर्पणकर्मणि: in the act of tarpaṇa (oblations)
• तर्पणकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पणकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; तर्पण + कर्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• गोत्राय: to/for the gotra
• गोत्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन

• कल्पनविधौ: in the procedure of formulation/arrangement
• कल्पनविधौ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्पनविधि (प्रातिपदिक; कल्पन + विधि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• गोत्रस्य: of the gotra
• गोत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• अक्षय्यदापने: in the giving of the ‘akṣayya’ (imperishable) offering/donation
• अक्षय्यदापने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षय्यदापन (प्रातिपदिक; अक्षय्य + दापन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajamāna recites saṅkalpa with priest; a stylized family tree motif behind them; the words ‘gotre / gotrāya / gotrasya’ appear as three labeled steps near ritual vessels, indicating shifting cases across actions.

Characters & Entities

• gotra
• tarpaṇa
• akṣayya-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Lineage-identification (gotra) and correct recitation are integral to properly directing offerings in pitṛ-rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named site appears in this shloka; it is a general rule embedded in the tīrtha-context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use context-appropriate forms of ‘gotra’: gotre (tarpaṇa), gotrāya (kalpana/assignment), gotrasya (akṣayya-dāna).