Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

। । देवा ऊचुः । त्वं माता सर्वदेवानां सर्वसाक्षी सनातनी । उत्पत्तिस्थितिसंहारकारणं जगतां सदा

Transliteration

| | devā ūcuḥ | tvaṃ mātā sarvadevānāṃ sarvasākṣī sanātanī | utpattisthitisaṃhārakāraṇaṃ jagatāṃ sadā

Translation

Die Devas sprachen: Du bist die Mutter aller Götter, die ewige Zeugin von allem; du bist für immer die Ursache von Schöpfung, Erhaltung und Auflösung der Welten.

Word by Word

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (masculine nominative plural)

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (perfect, 3rd person plural, parasmaipada)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (pronoun, nominative singular)

• mātā: mother
• mātā: Pradhāna-nāma (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (मातृ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• sarva-devānām: of all the gods
• sarva-devānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• sarva-sākṣī: witness of all
• sarva-sākṣī: Pradhāna-nāma (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + sākṣin (साक्षिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (feminine nominative singular; predicate)

• sanātanī: eternal
• sanātanī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine nominative singular; adjective)

• utpatti-sthiti-saṃhāra-kāraṇam: the cause of creation, maintenance, and dissolution
• utpatti-sthiti-saṃhāra-kāraṇam: Pradhāna-nāma (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utpatti (प्रातिपदिक) + sthiti (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃhāra (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व (उत्पत्ति+स्थिति+संहार) + तत्पुरुष (…-कारण); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nominative/accusative singular; predicate)

• jagatām: of the worlds
• jagatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (जगत् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (neuter genitive plural)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of time)

Speaker

Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas in reverent formation chant a hymn to the Mother; Devī appears serene yet majestic, embodying the three cosmic functions, with subtle symbols of creation, preservation, and dissolution around her.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True reconciliation begins by recognizing the Goddess as the supreme, all-witnessing source of cosmic order and approaching her with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is primarily theological (Devī-stuti); the excerpt does not specify a named pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is stuti (hymnic praise) as a means of propitiation; no specific vrata is named here.