Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

जातकर्मणि यत्प्राह पिता यच्चोपकर्मणि । पर्याप्तः स दृढीकारः पितुर्गौरवलिप्सया

Transliteration

jātakarmaṇi yatprāha pitā yaccopakarmaṇi | paryāptaḥ sa dṛḍhīkāraḥ piturgauravalipsayā

Translation

父于生礼（jātakarman）所宣示者，及于入学启蒙礼（upakarman）所训诲者：对欲求敬父之荣者，此已足为坚固之诫命。

Word by Word

• jātakarmaṇi: at the birth-rite (jātakarman)
• jātakarmaṇi: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jātakarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जातस्य कर्म)

• yat: what
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• pitā: the father
• pitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• yat: what
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• upakarmaṇi: at the upakarman rite
• upakarmaṇi: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upakarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• paryāptaḥ: sufficient, adequate
• paryāptaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-√āp (धातु) > paryāpta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP-like adjectival), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saḥ: that
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dṛḍhīkāraḥ: firming/confirmation
• dṛḍhīkāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛḍhī-kāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दृढी + कारः ‘making firm’)

• pituḥ: of the father
• pituḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• gaurava-lipsayā: by the desire for (his) honor/respect
• gaurava-lipsayā: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurava (प्रातिपदिक) + lipsā (प्रातिपदिक; from desiderative √labh)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गौरवस्य लिप्सा)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two ritual moments juxtaposed: jātakarman (newborn rite) and upākarman (initiation/renewal of Vedic study), with father instructing and blessing.

Characters & Entities

• jātakarman
• upakarman
• pitṛ (father)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The father’s guidance—especially around life-cycle sacraments—is to be treated as a decisive dharmic directive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse centers on saṃskāra-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references jātakarman and upakarman as key rites where paternal instruction functions as a binding injunction.