Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

यथायथा गता गावस्तत्र तोयं पिबंति ताः । सा गर्ता वक्त्रसंस्पर्शाद्वृद्धिं याति तथा तथा

Transliteration

yathāyathā gatā gāvastatra toyaṃ pibaṃti tāḥ | sā gartā vaktrasaṃsparśādvṛddhiṃ yāti tathā tathā

Translation

Je mehr und mehr Kühe dorthin kamen und jenes Wasser tranken, desto größer wurde auch die Mulde, die durch die Berührung ihrer Mäuler immer weiter anwuchs.

Word by Word

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यथातथा-संबन्धि (correlative)

• यथा: as and as / in whatever way
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (intensifying repetition)

• गताः: having gone/arrived
• गताः: Karta (Subject attribute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गत (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; to agree with गावः

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• पिबन्ति: drink
• पिबन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Parasmaipada

• ताः: they (those cows)
• ताः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (reiterating subject)

• सा: that (pit)
• सा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• गर्ता: pit/hole
• गर्ता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; appositional with सा

• वक्त्रसंस्पर्शात्: from contact with mouths
• वक्त्रसंस्पर्शात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र + संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (cause); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘वक्त्रस्य संस्पर्शः’)

• वृद्धिम्: increase/growth
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• याति: goes to / attains
• याति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• तथा: so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यथातथा-संबन्धि

• तथा: so (again and again)
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A steady stream of cows arrives; as each drinks, the pool’s rim subtly widens, ripples spreading outward, turning a small basin into a larger sacred pond.

Characters & Entities

• Cows (gāvaḥ)
• Gartā (basin/pond)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grace is shown as responsive and expansive: the sacred place grows to meet the needs of those who approach it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomukha-tīrtha, especially the growing water-basin associated with it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on the tīrtha’s self-manifesting, accommodating nature.