Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गंगातरंगमालानां शीकरस्पर्शशीतलः । पवमानः सुखस्पर्शो मन्दं मन्दं ववौ तदा

Transliteration

gaṃgātaraṃgamālānāṃ śīkarasparśaśītalaḥ | pavamānaḥ sukhasparśo mandaṃ mandaṃ vavau tadā

Translation

Alors souffla une brise douce, rafraîchie par le frôlement des embruns de la guirlande des vagues du Gaṅgā, agréable au toucher.

Word by Word

• गङ्गातरङ्गमालानाम्: of the garlands of Gaṅgā’s waves
• गङ्गातरङ्गमालानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + तरङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध: ‘of the garlands/rows of Gaṅgā’s waves’

• शीकरस्पर्शशीतलः: cool from the touch of spray
• शीकरस्पर्शशीतलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीकर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक) + शीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पवमानः इति विशेषणम्; ‘cool due to touch of spray’

• पवमानः: the blowing wind
• पवमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √पू (धातु, पवते) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता of ववौ; ‘blowing wind’

• सुखस्पर्शः: pleasant-touching
• सुखस्पर्शः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पवमानः इति विशेषणम्; ‘pleasant to touch’

• मन्दम्: gently
• मन्दम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत्; नपुंसक-एकवचन-आकारेण अव्ययप्रयोगः (adverbial accusative)

• मन्दम्: softly
• मन्दम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-अव्ययप्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण

• ववौ: blew
• ववौ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘blew’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (archetypal)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil hall open to a river-terrace: Gaṅgā’s waves form garlands; fine mist rises; a soft breeze moves garments and banners; faces relax into serenity as the air cools.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Breeze (pavamāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with sacred waters is depicted as cooling and purifying—an outward sign of inner auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is evoked as the sacred river; the verse does not pinpoint a single ghāṭa or tīrtha but draws on Gaṅgā’s sanctity to heighten the māhātmya mood.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse poetically signals the sanctifying presence of Gaṅgā’s waters.