Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

स्थानान्निरृतिदिग्भागे ब्रह्माणीप्रमुखास्तथा । नानारूपधरा देव्यो विद्यंते जलमातरः

Transliteration

sthānānnirṛtidigbhāge brahmāṇīpramukhāstathā | nānārūpadharā devyo vidyaṃte jalamātaraḥ

Translation

Im südwestlichen Viertel von jenem Ort finden sich die Wasser-Mütter—Göttinnen von mannigfaltigen Gestalten—an ihrer Spitze Brahmāṇī und die übrigen.

Word by Word

• sthānāt: from the place
• sthānāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• nirṛti-dik-bhāge: in the region of the Nirṛti direction (southwest quarter)
• nirṛti-dik-bhāge: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirṛti (प्रातिपदिक) + diś (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (nirṛteḥ dik) + तत्पुरुष (dik-bhāga)

• brahmāṇī-pramukhāḥ: having Brahmāṇī as the foremost
• brahmāṇī-pramukhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahmāṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + pramukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (brahmāṇī as first/leading)

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ (also/likewise)

• nānā-rūpa-dharāḥ: bearing various forms
• nānā-rūpa-dharāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (nānā-rūpa) + तत्पुरुष (rūpa-dhara = bearing forms)

• devyaḥ: goddesses
• devyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• vidyante: are found/exist
• vidyante: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• jala-mātaraḥ: mothers of water (water-mothers)
• jala-mātaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (of water)

Speaker

Vyāsa (narrative voice, contextually describing the kṣetra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇyaka (contextual kṣetra) — Jala-mātṛkā-sthāna in Nairṛti-dik

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred grove/kshetra mapped by directions; in the southwest, a cluster of water-goddesses rises from a lotus-filled pool—Brahmāṇī foremost—each with distinct forms, ornaments, and vāhanas, blessing pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmāṇī
• Jalamātaraḥ (Water-mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred landscape is alive with divine presences, including nurturing water-deities that sustain ritual purity and life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nirṛti (southwestern) sector of the Dharmāraṇya region, associated with the Jalamātaraḥ and Brahmāṇī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse identifies the divine presences connected with the direction and waters.