Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

अवटंकैर्हि ज्ञायंते नान्यथा ज्ञायते क्वचित् । गोत्रैश्च प्रवरैश्चैव अवटंकैर्नृपात्मज

Transliteration

avaṭaṃkairhi jñāyaṃte nānyathā jñāyate kvacit | gotraiśca pravaraiścaiva avaṭaṃkairnṛpātmaja

Translation

เพราะเขาทั้งหลายย่อมเป็นที่รู้จักด้วยเครื่องหมายจำแนก (อวฏังกกะ) เหล่านี้ มิฉะนั้นย่อมไม่เป็นที่รู้จัก ณ ที่ใดเลย ทั้งด้วยโคตรและด้วยประวรด้วย—โดยเครื่องหมายเหล่านี้เอง โอรสแห่งพระราชา

Word by Word

• अवटंकैः: by avaṭaṃkas (marks/identifiers)
• अवटंकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवटंक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लिङ्गम्—पुंलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—तृतीया; वचनम्—बहुवचनम्

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपातः (for/indeed)

• ज्ञायन्ते: are known
• ज्ञायन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लट् (Present); पुरुषः—प्रथम; वचनम्—बहुवचनम्; पदम्—आत्मनेपदम्; प्रयोगः—कर्मणि (passive)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः (negation)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: otherwise)

• ज्ञायते: is known
• ज्ञायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लट् (Present); पुरुषः—प्रथम; वचनम्—एकवचनम्; पदम्—आत्मनेपदम्; प्रयोगः—कर्मणि (passive)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• क्वचित्: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देश/कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (at any place/ever)

• गोत्रैः: by lineages
• गोत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लिङ्गम्—नपुंसकलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—तृतीया; वचनम्—बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• प्रवरैः: by pravaras (ancestral seers lists)
• प्रवरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लिङ्गम्—पुंलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—तृतीया; वचनम्—बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः

• अवटंकैः: by avaṭaṃkas
• अवटंकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवटंक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लिङ्गम्—पुंलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—तृतीया; वचनम्—बहुवचनम्

• नृपात्मज: O king's son
• नृपात्मज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपस्य आत्मजः); लिङ्गम्—पुंलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन); वचनम्—एकवचनम्

Speaker

Vyāsa (contextual—continuation of Vyāsa’s reply)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpātmaja (prince)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa addressing a prince: a schematic depiction of gotra-pravara ‘tree’ beside ritual implements; the prince listens attentively.

Characters & Entities

• gotra
• pravara
• avaṭaṃkaka
• nṛpātmaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved through clear transmission of lineage-knowledge (gotra/pravara) and the disciplined markers of tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya remains the sacred narrative setting; the verse itself is about dhārmic identification systems.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it supports the use of gotra and pravara in Vedic rites for proper invocation and ritual propriety.