Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

नदीनदसरोमाता नायिका नाकदीर्घिका । नष्टोद्धरणधीरा च नंदनानंददायिनी

Transliteration

nadīnadasaromātā nāyikā nākadīrghikā | naṣṭoddharaṇadhīrā ca naṃdanānaṃdadāyinī

Translation

তিনি নদী, উপনদী ও সরোবরের জননী; তিনি নায়িকা ও পথপ্রদর্শিকা। তিনি স্বর্গীয় সরোবরস্বরূপা, নষ্টকে উদ্ধার করতে ধৈর্যশীলা, এবং নন্দনবনের আনন্দ দানকারিণী।

Word by Word

• नदी-नद-सरः-माता: mother of rivers, streams, and lakes
• नदी-नद-सरः-माता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक) + नद (प्रातिपदिक) + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नदीनां नदानां सरसां माता)

• नायिका: leader, heroine
• नायिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाक-दीर्घिका: celestial long lake/pond
• नाक-दीर्घिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक (प्रातिपदिक) + दीर्घिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नाकस्य/स्वर्गस्य दीर्घिका; ‘celestial long tank/pond’)

• नष्ट-उद्धरण-धीरा: steadfast in rescuing the lost
• नष्ट-उद्धरण-धीरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (कृदन्त; √नश्) + उद्धरण (प्रातिपदिक) + धीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नष्टानाम् उद्धरणे धीरा)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• नन्दन-आनन्द-दायिनी: giver of joy to Nandana / giver of delightful bliss
• नन्दन-आनन्द-दायिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिनी (प्रातिपदिक; from √दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नन्दनस्य/नन्दनं प्रति आनन्दं ददाति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (Ghāṭa-tīrthas)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage interlocutor (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A majestic river-goddess as universal mother, from whose flowing hair emerge rivers, streams, and lakes; she stands as a guiding heroine leading pilgrims along ghāṭa steps, lifting a fallen devotee from the waters, while a glimpse of Nandana-garden joy shines above.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Varanasi)
• Nandana (heavenly grove)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine Mother is both source and sustainer—restoring what is lost and granting higher joy through grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context links these water-and-restoration epithets to Kāśī’s tīrtha-culture and sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the imagery supports tīrtha-oriented devotion (snāna, smaraṇa, and stuti) as implied practices.