Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

त्वं माता सर्वदेवानां त्वं च यज्ञस्य कारणम् । त्वं तीर्थं सर्वतीर्थानां नम स्तेऽस्तु सदानघे

Transliteration

tvaṃ mātā sarvadevānāṃ tvaṃ ca yajñasya kāraṇam | tvaṃ tīrthaṃ sarvatīrthānāṃ nama ste'stu sadānaghe

Translation

Du bist die Mutter aller Götter; du bist die eigentliche Ursache des Yajña. Du bist das Tīrtha unter allen Tīrthas—Ehrerbietung dir, o ewig Makellose.

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun nominative singular

• माता: mother
• माता: Predicate nominative (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सर्वे देवाः); षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Coordination/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• यज्ञस्य: of sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• कारणम्: cause/reason
• कारणम्: Predicate nominative (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (predicate)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• तीर्थम्: holy place/pilgrimage
• तीर्थम्: Predicate nominative (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here predicate nominative

• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: of all tīrthas
• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि तीर्थानि); षष्ठी, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभूत)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutation)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular (to you)

• अस्तु: may it be
• अस्तु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative/benedictive ‘let it be’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (always)

• अनघे: O blameless one
• अनघे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular (O sinless one)

Speaker

Devāḥ (collective hymn of the gods to Kāma-dhenū)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāma-dhenū (as ‘tīrthaṃ sarvatīrthānām’)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A direct hymn to Kāma-dhenū: she is envisioned as radiant, maternal, and cosmic—within her are symbols of yajña and tīrthas; devas bow in unison.

Characters & Entities

• Kāma-dhenū
• yajña
• tīrtha
• devāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred is not merely a place but a living source of dharma—nourishing gods, sacrifice, and pilgrimage merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rather than a geographic tīrtha, the verse elevates Kāma-dhenū herself as ‘the tīrtha of all tīrthas’ within the Dharmāraṇya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Theological framing of yajña: Kāma-dhenū is praised as its cause; the practice implied is stuti and reverential worship.