Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

आत्मजां मां विजानीहि गालवस्य महात्मनः । कन्या चाहमनूढास्मि पितृशु श्रूषणे रता

Transliteration

ātmajāṃ māṃ vijānīhi gālavasya mahātmanaḥ | kanyā cāhamanūḍhāsmi pitṛśu śrūṣaṇe ratā

Translation

Ketahuilah aku ini puteri kepada resi agung Gālava. Aku seorang anak dara yang belum bersuami, tekun berkhidmat kepada ayahanda.

Word by Word

• आत्मजाम्: daughter
• आत्मजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विजानीहि: know/recognize
• विजानीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• गालवस्य: of Gālava
• गालवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled
• महात्मनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (गालवस्य)

• कन्या: a maiden/daughter
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनूढा: unmarried
• अनूढा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनूढा (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वह्/ऊह् ‘to marry/lead’ + नकार-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि/निषेधार्थक-विशेषण

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पितृषु: towards/among (my) fathers/parents
• पितृषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• श्रूषणे: in service/attendance
• श्रूषणे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक

• रता: devoted/engaged
• रता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √रम् + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अहम्)

Speaker

Kāṃtimatī (daughter of sage Gālava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical frame; not provided in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A modest maiden introduces herself as Gālava’s daughter, hands folded in respectful speech, holding a flower-basket; the setting suggests a coastal sacred grove near Setu with pilgrims and distant sea.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Kāṃtimatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It upholds pitṛ-sevā (devoted service to parents/elders) and personal modesty as core aspects of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is the Setukhaṇḍa (Setu/Rāma-setu–Rāmeśvaram region), though this verse itself focuses on character and identity within the Setu narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes ethical duty (service to one’s father) rather than a specific rite.