Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

गोत्राचारः पालनीयो यथावित्तानुसारतः । एवं ते कथितं राजन्धर्मारण्यं पुरातनम्

Transliteration

gotrācāraḥ pālanīyo yathāvittānusārataḥ | evaṃ te kathitaṃ rājandharmāraṇyaṃ purātanam

Translation

Adat keturunan (gotra) hendaklah dipelihara menurut kemampuan harta seseorang. Demikianlah, wahai Raja, Dharmāraṇya yang purba telah dihuraikan kepadamu.

Word by Word

• गोत्राचारः: gotra custom
• गोत्राचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गोत्रस्य आचारः)

• पालनीयः: should be observed
• पालनीयः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाल् (धातु) → पालनीय (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्/अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: ought to be protected/observed), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (गोत्राचारः)

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (according to)

• वित्त: wealth/means
• वित्त: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (contextual stem in compound), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• अनुसारतः: in accordance with
• अनुसारतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुसार (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त-अव्यय (तसिल्/तस्), प्रकार/अनुपातवाचक (in accordance with)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; श्रोत्रे (to you)

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (it has been told)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• धर्मारण्यम्: Dharmāraṇya (sacred forest)
• धर्मारण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य अरण्यम्)

• पुरातनम्: ancient
• पुरातनम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (धर्मारण्यम्)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing a King; contextual listener: Rājan)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher addressing a king: showing different devotees offering simple and rich gifts alike, all accepted; the forest-kshetra backdrop signals Dharmāraṇya’s ancient authority.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practical: one should preserve lineage duties without hypocrisy, proportionate to one’s capacity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is directly named as the ancient sacred place whose greatness is being taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of gotrācāra according to one’s means is prescribed.