Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ततस्तस्य समादेशाद्गायत्री गोपकन्यका । शक्रेण च समानीता दिव्यलक्षणलक्षिता

Transliteration

tatastasya samādeśādgāyatrī gopakanyakā | śakreṇa ca samānītā divyalakṣaṇalakṣitā

Translation

Lalu atas perintahnya, Gāyatrī—menampakkan diri sebagai gadis penggembala sapi—dibawa oleh Śakra (Indra), berhias tanda-tanda ilahi.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'thereafter/from that')

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• समादेशात्: from/according to (his) command
• समादेशात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sam-ādeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गोपकन्यका: a cowherd maiden
• गोपकन्यका: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopa (प्रातिपदिक) + kanyakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'of cowherds' + 'maiden'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); अप्पोज़िशन (apposition to गायत्री)

• शक्रेण: by Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रेण: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• समानीता: brought/led (here)
• समानीता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-nī (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिव्यलक्षणलक्षिता: marked with divine characteristics
• दिव्यलक्षणलक्षिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: 'with divine marks' + 'marked'), भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta-style narration within Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra escorts Gāyatrī in the form of a radiant cowherd maiden toward the sacrificial arena; despite pastoral attire, she bears divine marks—halo, lotus motifs, luminous gaze—signaling her true nature.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Indra (Śakra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine powers may assume humble forms to uphold a rite, indicating that sacred purpose can work through unexpected appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the chapter’s tīrtha narrative build-up; the place-glory is developed through the ensuing account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it narrates the procurement of a yajña-consort to proceed with the rite.