Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

गायत्रीपाठमात्रांश्च विकर्मविरतान् सदा । पुनर्भूवृषलीशूद्री चरेयुर्यस्य मन्दिरे

Transliteration

gāyatrīpāṭhamātrāṃśca vikarmaviratān sadā | punarbhūvṛṣalīśūdrī careyuryasya mandire

Translation

اور جو لوگ صرف گایتری کا پاٹھ ہی کرتے ہیں، مگر ہمیشہ ممنوعہ اعمال (وِکرم) سے باز رہتے ہیں—جن کے گھر میں پُنربھو (دوبارہ بیاہی ہوئی)، وِرشلی/بہِشکرت عورت اور شودرنی عورتیں بھی بے ادبی و ناپاکی کے بغیر آ جا سکتی ہیں۔

Word by Word

• गायत्री: of/pertaining to the Gāyatrī (mantra)
• गायत्री: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (अव्यक्त-सम्बन्धः; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन) / Feminine, genitive-relation sense, singular (as prior member in compound)

• पाठ: recitation
• पाठ: Upapada component (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (समासमध्यपदत्वेन) / Masculine, nominative/accusative singular (as compound member)

• मात्रान्: only/merely (limited to)
• मात्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन / Masculine, accusative plural

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• विकर्म: forbidden acts, improper rites
• विकर्म: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन) / Neuter, genitive-relation sense (as prior member)

• विरतान्: refraining (from), abstinent
• विरतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + रम् (धातु) → विरत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन / Past participle (kta), masculine, accusative plural

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पुनर्भू: a remarried woman (punarbhū)
• पुनर्भू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुनर्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन / Feminine, nominative singular

• वृषली: a low-caste woman (vṛṣalī)
• वृषली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन / Feminine, nominative singular

• शूद्री: a Śūdra woman
• शूद्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन / Feminine, nominative singular

• चरेयुः: should move about / should frequent
• चरेयुः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन / Optative, 3rd person, plural

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन / Pronoun, genitive singular

• मन्दिरे: in the house/temple
• मन्दिरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन / Neuter, locative singular

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Revā Khaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined householder recites Gāyatrī at dawn; the household is portrayed as orderly and restrained, with clear social boundaries and a sense of ritual propriety.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• vikarma
• punarbhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual recitation alone is not the standard; consistent avoidance of prohibited conduct is essential for dharmic standing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Someshvara-centered narrative of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A criterion of eligibility/fitness in household religious contexts: abstaining from vikarma as a core requirement.