Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । शिरः प्रधानं गात्रेषु शिरसा धार्यते महान्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | śiraḥ pradhānaṃ gātreṣu śirasā dhāryate mahān

Translation

Īśvara sprach: „Unter den Gliedern ist das Haupt das vornehmste; auf dem Haupt wird die große Last — das ganze Wesen — getragen.“

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रधानम्: chief, principal
• प्रधानम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; शिरः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गात्रेषु: among the limbs
• गात्रेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• शिरसा: by the head
• शिरसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• धार्यते: is borne/supported
• धार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• महान्: great (one/thing)
• महान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (अत्र) कर्तृस्थानी/विशेष्यः—‘महान् (भारः/पुरुषः)’ इति सन्दर्भानुसारम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva gestures toward the head/crown while teaching; a subtle lotus at the crown glows, indicating the ‘abode’ as a yogic center; the setting remains serene and instructional.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Śiras (head)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse begins a teaching that elevates the ‘head’ as the chief seat of support—preparing a link between bodily hierarchy, worship, and yogic discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; it introduces a principle that will ground instructions about worship and yogic holding (dhāraṇā).