Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

दधौ गंगां स्वशीर्षेण पुष्पवंतौ च नेत्रयोः । हृदा नारायणं देवं ब्रह्माणं कटिमंडले

Transliteration

dadhau gaṃgāṃ svaśīrṣeṇa puṣpavaṃtau ca netrayoḥ | hṛdā nārāyaṇaṃ devaṃ brahmāṇaṃ kaṭimaṃḍale

Translation

সে নিজের শিরে গঙ্গাকে ধারণ করল, আর দুই নয়নে পুষ্পের শোভা স্থাপন করল। হৃদয়ে ভগবান নারায়ণকে প্রতিষ্ঠা করল এবং কটিদেশের মণ্ডলে ব্রহ্মাকে মণ্ডলবৎ স্থাপন করল।

Word by Word

• दधौ: placed/held
• दधौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• गङ्गाम्: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वशीर्षेण: with/on his own head
• स्वशीर्षेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘स्वस्य शीर्षेण’

• पुष्पवन्तौ: flower-adorned (two)
• पुष्पवन्तौ: Karma-visheshana (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṣpavant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual); कर्म-विशेषणम् (for ‘netre’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• नेत्रयोः: in the two eyes
• नेत्रयोः: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th or Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual); अत्र अधिकरणे—‘in the two eyes’

• हृदा: with (his) heart
• हृदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); नारायणस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कटिमण्डले: in the waist-region
• कटिमण्डले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘कटेः मण्डले’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (invoked as śiras-sthāna tīrtha)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (forest-assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A striking consecration tableau: Lohāsura stands in ritual posture; a stylized Gaṅgā stream/crown-water rests on his head; lotus-flowers touch his eyes; within a translucent chest-lotus sits Nārāyaṇa; at the waist a small Brahmā icon appears—his body rendered as a living maṇḍala.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Nārāyaṇa
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The body is treated as a sacred field: inner consecration and reverence for divine presences prepare the aspirant for powerful austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is invoked as supreme purifier; while not a single locality is named, the river’s sanctity functions as portable tīrtha within the devotee.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A form of internal nyāsa/mental installation is implied—placing sacred presences (Gaṅgā, Nārāyaṇa, Brahmā) upon/within the body.