Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

अष्टषष्टिविभागेन पूर्वमायुव्ययोद्भवम् । तत्रासीदथ गोत्रे च पुरुषाणां प्रसंख्यया

Transliteration

aṣṭaṣaṣṭivibhāgena pūrvamāyuvyayodbhavam | tatrāsīdatha gotre ca puruṣāṇāṃ prasaṃkhyayā

Translation

పూర్వం అక్కడ అరవై ఎనిమిది విభాగాలుగా విభజనచేసి, ఆయుష్షు మరియు వ్యయానికి సంబంధించిన నియమబద్ధ వ్యవస్థ ఏర్పడింది; గోత్రాలలోనూ పురుషుల సంఖ్య ప్రకారం లెక్కింపు ఉండేది।

Word by Word

• अष्टषष्टिविभागेन: by the division into sixty-eight
• अष्टषष्टिविभागेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टषष्टि + विभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative; ‘अष्टषष्टेः विभागः’), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूर्वम्: formerly; earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• आयुव्ययोद्भवम्: the origin arising from the expenditure of life (lifespan)
• आयुव्ययोद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयु + व्यय + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• आसीत्: was; existed
• आसीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (then/now)

• गोत्रे: in the lineage/clan
• गोत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुरुषाणाम्: of men; of persons
• पुरुषाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रसंख्यया: by enumeration; in due count
• प्रसंख्यया: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसंख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council-like gathering where elders mark divisions—perhaps with boundary stones or ledgers—while priests record gotras and numbers; the sacred center (temple/tīrtha) anchors the layout.

Characters & Entities

• Gotras
• Brāhmaṇa community

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are upheld through dharmic order—clear divisions, responsibilities, and accountability within community life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is ongoing, but the excerpt does not specify the name of the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is given; the verse describes structured divisions and enumeration (a governance/organization theme).