Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

मया तस्य प्रतिज्ञातं धारयिष्याम्यसंशयम् । आकाशाज्जाह्नवीवेगं पतंतं धरणीतले

Transliteration

mayā tasya pratijñātaṃ dhārayiṣyāmyasaṃśayam | ākāśājjāhnavīvegaṃ pataṃtaṃ dharaṇītale

Translation

ഞാൻ അവനോട് പ്രതിജ്ഞ ചെയ്തു—‘സംശയമില്ലാതെ ഞാൻ ധരിക്കും’—ആകാശത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഭൂമിയിലേക്ക് പതിക്കുന്ന ജാഹ്നവിയുടെ പ്രബല വേഗത്തെ.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रतिज्ञातम्: a promise (was made)
• प्रतिज्ञातम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिज्ञात (प्रातिपदिक; प्रति√ज्ञा क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular)

• धारयिष्यामि: I will bear / hold
• धारयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (singular)

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative: 'without doubt')

• आकाशात्: from the sky
• आकाशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• जाह्नवीवेगम्: the force/velocity of Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नवीवेगम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी + वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जाह्नव्याः वेगः)

• पतन्तम्: falling
• पतन्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies jāhnavīvegam)

• धरणीतले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (धरण्याः तलम्)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing the first-person statement about bearing Gaṅgā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī) held in Śiva’s jaṭā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Divine interlocutor(s) in the Gaṅgā-avataraṇa episode (Bhagīratha/Umā contextually)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva declares his promise and is shown catching the torrential Jāhnavī as it plunges from the sky; the water arcs into his matted locks, dispersing into gentle streams that descend to earth.

Characters & Entities

• Jāhnavī
• Gaṅgā
• Ākāśa
• Earth (Dharaṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A divine promise safeguards the world—grace is given with protection, not recklessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement underpins the sanctity of Gaṅgā’s earthly flow, the basis for countless Gaṅgā tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the cosmic act enabling later tīrtha practice.