Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

गंगाद्याः सरितस्तत्र प्राधान्येन प्रकल्पयेत् । एवं निर्माप्य वसुधां सर्वां हेममयीं नृप

Transliteration

gaṃgādyāḥ saritastatra prādhānyena prakalpayet | evaṃ nirmāpya vasudhāṃ sarvāṃ hemamayīṃ nṛpa

Translation

Dort soll man die Flüsse, beginnend mit der Gaṅgā, in besonderer Hervorhebung anbringen. So, o König, nachdem man die ganze Erde als goldene Gestalt gestaltet hat,—

Word by Word

• गङ्गाद्याः: the Gaṅgā and other (rivers)
• गङ्गाद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'गङ्गा-आदि' इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (gaṅgā-etc. rivers)

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Vedic/epic form for सरितः = सरितः/सरितः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• प्राधान्येन: with prominence; as primary
• प्राधान्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राधान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental: 'with prominence/as principal')

• प्रकल्पयेत्: should arrange/assign
• प्रकल्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• निर्माप्य: having constructed/formed
• निर्माप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + माप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having constructed/measured out'

• वसुधाम्: the earth/ground
• वसुधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वाम्: entire
• सर्वाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वसुधाम्)

• हेममयीम्: made of gold
• हेममयीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'हेममय' = हेमेन मयः (made of gold)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (procedural instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (as archetypal tīrtha within the model)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A golden earth-form is nearly complete; bright river-lines flow across it, with Gaṅgā drawn widest and most radiant, attended by small river-deities; the king watches as the priest highlights Gaṅgā’s course.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring the Gaṅgā and sacred rivers within ritual expresses reverence for tīrthas as channels of purification and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage is part of the Gautameśvara-centered tīrtha narrative in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Depict principal rivers (starting with Gaṅgā) prominently while completing the fully golden earth-model.