Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

मा पुत्रि जलमध्येऽत्र मम मूर्तिचतुष्टयम् । परिभावय मद्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा चैव विधीयताम्

Transliteration

mā putri jalamadhye'tra mama mūrticatuṣṭayam | paribhāvaya madvākyaṃ śrutvā caiva vidhīyatām

Translation

«Ma fille, n’immerge pas ici, au milieu du courant, mes quatre formes sacrées. Réfléchis bien à mes paroles ; les ayant entendues, agis comme il convient.»

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (prohibitive particle)

• पुत्रि: O daughter
• पुत्रि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• जलमध्ये: in the water
• जलमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जलस्य मध्ये = in the middle of water)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• मूर्तिचतुष्टयम्: (my) four forms
• मूर्तिचतुष्टयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मूर्तीनां चतुष्टयम् = set of four forms)

• परिभावय: consider, reflect upon
• परिभावय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मत्-वाक्यम्: my words
• मत्-वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-सम्बद्ध) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मम वाक्यम् = my statement)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• विधीयताम्: let it be done / it should be carried out
• विधीयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: ‘let it be done’)

Speaker

Sureśvarī (Goddess/Gaurī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: river/ghat (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu (outer frame, implied) / Lakṣmī (inner instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess instructs Lakṣmī: do not immerse my four forms in the river’s midstream; reflect on my words and act accordingly.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Sureśvarī
• mūrticatuṣṭaya (four forms)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes correct ritual handling of sacred forms; devotion must be guided by scriptural and divine instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya, where the four forms are meant for sanctified establishment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not perform immersion (visarjana in water) of the four images; instead follow the Goddess’ prescribed procedure.