Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

जठरं पुंडरीकाक्षः कटिं पातु गदाधरः । जानुनोर्युगलं कृष्णः पादौ च धरणीधरः

Transliteration

jaṭharaṃ puṃḍarīkākṣaḥ kaṭiṃ pātu gadādharaḥ | jānunoryugalaṃ kṛṣṇaḥ pādau ca dharaṇīdharaḥ

Translation

«Que Puṇḍarīkākṣa protège ton ventre ; que Gadādhara garde ta taille ; que Kṛṣṇa veille sur tes deux genoux ; et que Dharaṇīdhara préserve tes pieds.»

Word by Word

• जठरम्: belly
• जठरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• पुण्डरीकाक्षः: the lotus-eyed one (Viṣṇu)
• पुण्डरीकाक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीक (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि/अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (पुण्डरीक-सदृशे अक्षिणी यस्य सः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• कटिम्: waist
• कटिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• पातु: may protect
• पातु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• गदाधरः: the mace-bearer
• गदाधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √धृ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: गदां धरति इति), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• जानुनोः: of the two knees
• जानुनोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), द्विवचन

• युगलम्: pair
• युगलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युगल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• पादौ: the two feet
• पादौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• धरणीधरः: the earth-bearer (Viṣṇu)
• धरणीधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √धृ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: धरणीं धरति इति), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Jāmbavatī (continuing benediction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mother/queen performs a protective aṅga-touching blessing over her son, invoking Viṣṇu’s names as guardians of each limb; the atmosphere is intimate and ritualistic within a palace setting.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Puṇḍarīkākṣa
• Gadādhara
• Kṛṣṇa
• Dharaṇīdhara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering the Lord’s names as protective epithets sacralizes the body and the journey, aligning travel with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a specific site; the verse functions as a rakṣā (protective) invocation within the pilgrimage narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied japa/recitation of Viṣṇu-nāmas as a protective practice (rakṣā-pāṭha style).