Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

पार्वत्युवाच । मया त्रिमात्रया स्वामिन्सेव्यते जगदीश्वरः । रूपमस्य कथं जाने वचसामप्यगोचरम्

Transliteration

pārvatyuvāca | mayā trimātrayā svāminsevyate jagadīśvaraḥ | rūpamasya kathaṃ jāne vacasāmapyagocaram

Translation

പാർവ്വതി അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—സ്വാമീ! ഞാൻ ത്രിമാത്രകളാൽ ജഗദീശ്വരനെ സേവിക്കുന്നു. വാക്കുകൾക്കും അഗോചരമായ അവന്റെ രൂപം ഞാൻ എങ്ങനെ അറിയും?

Word by Word

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रिमात्रया: with the three-mātrā (Oṃ)
• त्रिमात्रया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्रीणां मात्राणां समाहारः/त्रिमात्रा)

• स्वामिन्: O Lord
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सेव्यते: is worshipped/served
• सेव्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• जगदीश्वरः: the Lord of the world
• जगदीश्वरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः ईश्वरः)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• जाने: do I know
• जाने: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• वचसाम्: of words/speech
• वचसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• अगोचरम्: beyond the range (of speech)
• अगोचरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); नञ्-प्रत्यय (negation)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī, humble and inquisitive, addresses Śiva; subtle depiction of the three mātrās as three luminous waves or syllables around her, while Śiva appears vast and ineffable.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Jagadīśvara (Lord of the Universe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra worship points toward a reality that ultimately transcends conceptual description and speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a theological question within the māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reference is made to worship through “tri-mātrā,” indicating a mantra-based upāsanā practice.