Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । त्वं मूर्ध्ना जाह्नवीं धत्से मूर्तां पदजलात्मिकाम् । तस्मान्नाहं गमिष्यामि मंदिरं ते कथंचन

Transliteration

devyuvāca | tvaṃ mūrdhnā jāhnavīṃ dhatse mūrtāṃ padajalātmikām | tasmānnāhaṃ gamiṣyāmi maṃdiraṃ te kathaṃcana

Translation

La Déesse dit : «Tu portes sur ta tête Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā), incarnée comme l’eau issue des pieds du Seigneur. C’est pourquoi je n’irai point à ta demeure—en aucune manière.»

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मूर्ध्ना: with (your) head
• मूर्ध्ना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• जाह्नवीम्: Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नवीम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• धत्से: you bear/hold
• धत्से: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मूर्ताम्: embodied
• मूर्ताम्: Karman (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पदजलात्मिकाम्: whose nature is the water from (your) feet
• पदजलात्मिकाम्: Karman (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पदस्य जलं = पादोदकं, तदात्मिका)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (therefore)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गमिष्यामि: I will go
• गमिष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मन्दिरम्: to the abode/temple
• मन्दिरम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (genitive)

• कथंचन: in any way (at all)
• कथंचन: Prakara (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/अनिश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (in any way/at all; with negation = ‘by no means’)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī/Girijā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī declares her refusal to go to Śiva’s dwelling because he bears Gaṅgā on his head—Gaṅgā visualized as a luminous stream emerging from jaṭā, signifying Viṣṇu’s foot-water origin.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Śiva
• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters (Gaṅgā) are theologically charged in Purāṇas, and divine household dynamics are used to teach reverence, boundaries, and dharmic propriety.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī) is invoked as a sacred river; the chapter’s tīrtha setting is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse explains a reason grounded in the sacred presence of Gaṅgā upon Śiva.