Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 104
नास्ति मातृसमं त्राणं नास्ति मातृसमा प्रपा । कुक्षिसंधारणाद्धात्री जननाज्जननी तथा
nāsti mātṛsamaṃ trāṇaṃ nāsti mātṛsamā prapā | kukṣisaṃdhāraṇāddhātrī jananājjananī tathā
માતા સમું ત્રાણ નથી, માતા સમી પ્રપા (વિશ્રામ-આશ્રય) નથી. ગર્ભમાં ધારણ કરવાથી તે ‘ધાત્રી’ અને જન્મ આપવાથી તે ‘જનની’ કહેવાય છે।
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), contextually addressing the sages (deduced)
Scene: A mother depicted as ‘Dhātrī’: one hand on her womb (symbolic), another offering water like a prapā to travelers; the son receives protection under her shawl-like ‘shade’.
FAQs
The mother is the highest protection and comfort, and her roles of sustaining and birthing are sacredly acknowledged.
No particular tīrtha is named; the imagery of prapā is metaphorical.
None; it offers devotional-ethical instruction through praise and definition of motherhood.