Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ततः सा विश्वजननी पार्वती प्राह शंकरम् । इयं ते करगा नित्यमक्षमाला महेश्वर

Transliteration

tataḥ sā viśvajananī pārvatī prāha śaṃkaram | iyaṃ te karagā nityamakṣamālā maheśvara

Translation

Darauf sprach Pārvatī, die Mutter des Weltalls, zu Śaṅkara: „O Maheśvara, diese Gebetskette (akṣamālā) ist stets in deiner Hand.“

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थः ‘तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम्’ (thereafter)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• विश्वजननी: mother of the universe
• विश्वजननी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + jananī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य जननी) = ‘mother of the universe’

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (अह्/ब्रू-आदेश; धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘said/spoke’

• शंकरम्: to Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; संबोधितस्य कर्मरूपेण (object of speech)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (this)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘of you/your’

• करगा: held in (your) hand
• करगा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक) + gā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (करे गता/स्थिताः) = ‘in the hand/hand-held’; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverb; ‘always/constantly’

• अक्षमाला: rosary
• अक्षमाला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अक्षाणां माला) = ‘rosary of beads’

• महेश्वर: O Maheśvara
• महेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधनम् (vocative)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī, radiant and maternal, turns toward Śaṅkara and points gently to the rosary always in his hand; Śiva sits serene, mālā draped over his fingers.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Śiva (Śaṅkara/Maheśvara)
• Akṣamālā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the Lord is portrayed as honoring disciplined japa, teaching devotees the value of steady mantra-practice.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is directly named in this verse; it forms part of a broader Tīrthamāhātmya narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of an akṣamālā (rosary) for japa is indicated by the context.