Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

एवं गंगाकृते प्रोक्तं मया तव सुरेश्वरि । शृणु सन्ध्याकृतेऽन्यच्च येन तां प्रणमाम्यहम्

Transliteration

evaṃ gaṃgākṛte proktaṃ mayā tava sureśvari | śṛṇu sandhyākṛte'nyacca yena tāṃ praṇamāmyaham

Translation

هكذا يا سُريشْوَرِي، يا ملكةَ الآلهة، قد بيّنتُ لكِ السببَ المتعلّق بغانغا. والآن اسمعي سببًا آخر متصلًا بسَنْدْهْيا، وبسببه أنحني لها ساجدًا.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• गङ्गाकृते: for (the sake of) Gaṅgā
• गङ्गाकृते: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त; कृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; गङ्गाकृते = गङ्गायाः कृते (for the sake of Gaṅgā)

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken, said
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (वच् धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (said/spoken)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-in-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• तव: of you, for you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• सुरेश्वरि: O queen/lady of the gods
• सुरेश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sureśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सन्ध्याकृते: for (the sake of) the sandhyā (twilight rite)
• सन्ध्याकृते: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandhyā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त; कृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सन्ध्याकृते = सन्ध्यायाः कृते (for the sake of twilight rites)

• अन्यत्: another, further
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• ताम्: her/that (f.)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रणमामि: I bow (to)
• प्रणमामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (नम् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present/वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Deva (likely Śiva) speaking to Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (general) / Sandhyā (sacred time)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sureśvarī (Queen of the gods; likely Indrāṇī/Śacī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine narrator addresses ‘Sureśvarī’ (Indrāṇī/Devī), concluding Gaṅgā’s reason and turning to the ‘another reason’ of Sandhyā; a reverential bow to Sandhyā is implied.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Sandhyā
• Sureśvarī (Devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It links devotion to Gaṅgā with daily dharmic discipline (Sandhyā), presenting reverence as both cosmic theology and lived practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-tīrtha is foregrounded; the verse prepares for explaining her role in Sandhyā-related worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sandhyā-related practice is indicated (Sandhyā-vandana context), along with praṇāma (bowing) to Gaṅgā.