Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मातर ऊचुः । त्यक्ष्यामश्च तवादेशात्तत्स्थानं वृषभध्वज । परं दर्शय चास्माकं किंचिदन्यत्तथाविधम्

Transliteration

mātara ūcuḥ | tyakṣyāmaśca tavādeśāttatsthānaṃ vṛṣabhadhvaja | paraṃ darśaya cāsmākaṃ kiṃcidanyattathāvidham

Translation

মাতৃগণ বললেন—হে বৃষভধ্বজ! আপনার আদেশে আমরা সেই স্থান ত্যাগ করব; তবে আমাদের জন্য তদ্রূপ আরেকটি উৎকৃষ্ট স্থান দেখান।

Word by Word

• मातरः: the mothers
• मातरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative plural

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person plural

• त्यक्ष्यामः: we shall abandon/leave
• त्यक्ष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Simple future, 1st person plural

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

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Pronoun, Genitive singular

• आदेशात्: from (your) command; due to instruction
• आदेशात्: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative singular

• तत्-स्थानम्: that place
• तत्-स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘तस्य स्थानम्’

• वृषभध्वज: O Bull-bannered one (Śiva)
• वृषभध्वज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative singular; बहुव्रीहि: ‘वृषभः ध्वजः यस्य सः’ (epithet of Śiva)

• परम्: another, further
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; विशेषण (qualifying)

• दर्शय: show
• दर्शय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 2nd person singular

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

• अस्माकम्: of us/for us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Pronoun, Genitive plural

• किञ्चित्: something
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Pronoun (indefinite), Accusative singular; नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; विशेषण

• तथा-विधम्: of that kind/similar
• तथा-विधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; कर्मधारय: ‘तथा एव विधः’ = of such a kind

Speaker

Mātaraḥ (Mātṛkās)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of radiant Mother-goddesses with weapons and emblems, hands folded, addressing Śiva marked by the bull-banner; they request to depart yet ask for another similar sacred abode.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛkās
• Vṛṣabhadhvaja (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine powers cooperate with Śiva’s dharmic governance; proper placement of energies sustains the sanctity of sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The exchange occurs within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 106), focused on arranging guardianship within a regional tīrtha complex.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse records assent to Śiva’s command and a request for an alternative sanctioned abode.