Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

कमला च महालक्ष्मीर्द्वितीया यक्षिणी तथा । अस्मिन्गोत्रे च ये जाताः श्रौतस्मार्त्तरता बुधाः

Transliteration

kamalā ca mahālakṣmīrdvitīyā yakṣiṇī tathā | asmingotre ca ye jātāḥ śrautasmārttaratā budhāḥ

Translation

కమలా, మహాలక్ష్మీ అని చెప్పబడింది; అలాగే ద్వితీయగా యక్షిణీ కూడా. ఈ గోత్రంలో జన్మించినవారు శ్రౌత–స్మార్త ఆచారాలలో నిమగ్నులై జ్ఞానులు అవుతారు.

Word by Word

• कमला: Kamalā
• कमला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kamalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• महालक्ष्मीः: Mahālakṣmī
• महालक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahālakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (mahā + lakṣmī)

• द्वितीया: the second
• द्वितीया: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम् (ordinal)

• यक्षिणी: Yakṣiṇī
• यक्षिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गोत्रे: in the lineage/clan
• गोत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• जाताः: born
• जाताः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jan (जन्) + ta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• श्रौतस्मार्त्तरताः: devoted to Śrauta and Smārta (rites)
• श्रौतस्मार्त्तरताः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrauta + smārta + rata (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (श्रौत + स्मार्त) + ‘रत’ (आसक्त)

• बुधाः: wise men
• बुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa household/āśrama where Lakṣmī (as Kamalā/Mahālakṣmī) is symbolically present—lotus motifs, grantha study, and a small ritual fire—while the text praises those devoted to śrauta and smārta duties.

Characters & Entities

• Kamalā
• Mahālakṣmī
• Yakṣiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True nobility is shown by fidelity to dharma—maintaining both Vedic (Śrauta) and traditional (Smārta) duties with wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is praised in this verse; it characterizes a gotra and its dhārmic disposition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it commends adherence to Śrauta sacrifices and Smārta rites, but it gives no specific procedure.