Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

जातो यदाथ गंगायां षण्मुखः शंकरात्मजः । तदानीमेव गिरिजा संजाता प्रस्नुतस्तनी

Transliteration

jāto yadātha gaṃgāyāṃ ṣaṇmukhaḥ śaṃkarātmajaḥ | tadānīmeva girijā saṃjātā prasnutastanī

Translation

Als Shanmukha, der Sohn Shankaras, in der Ganga geboren wurde, füllten sich in genau jenem Augenblick Girijas Brüste mit fließender Milch.

Word by Word

• jātaḥ: born
• jātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jan (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; past passive participle used adjectivally

• yadā: when
• yadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• gaṅgāyām: in the Gaṅgā
• gaṅgāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative

• ṣaṇmukhaḥ: Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced one)
• ṣaṇmukhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṇ + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (षड्-मुखः = having six faces) used as proper epithet

• śaṃkarātmajaḥ: son of Śaṅkara
• śaṃkarātmajaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara + ātmaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शंकरस्य आत्मजः)

• tadānīm: at that time
• tadānīm: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadānīm (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at that time)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (indeed/just)

• girijā: Girijā (Pārvatī)
• girijā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: girijā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; proper name (Pārvatī)

• saṃjātā: arose/occurred
• saṃjātā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + jan (धातु) → saṃjāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘having arisen/occurred’

• prasnutastanī: she whose breasts were flowing with milk
• prasnutastanī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prasruta + stanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्याः स्तनौ प्रस्नुतौ/प्रस्रुतौ)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kedāra-Himālaya context)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tīrtha-inquirer audience (rishis/disciples in frame; unspecified in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the banks of the luminous Gaṅgā, the newborn Ṣaṇmukha’s advent is implied; Girijā’s breasts overflow with milk as a spontaneous cosmic sign, with Śiva nearby in serene majesty.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Girijā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic events mirror divine birth; the Mother’s nurturing power manifests instantly with the advent of the divine child.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is the sanctified setting for Skanda’s birth, underscoring her status as a supreme tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription is given; the verse conveys sacred narrative symbolism.