Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

ततश्चांडस्य शिरसो धारा नीरमयी शिवा । सर्वलोकान्समाप्लाव्य गंगा मेरावुपागता

Transliteration

tataścāṃḍasya śiraso dhārā nīramayī śivā | sarvalokānsamāplāvya gaṃgā merāvupāgatā

Translation

Kemudian, dari mahkota Telur Kosmik, bangkitlah suatu aliran air yang diberkati, bersifat Śiva; setelah membanjiri seluruh dunia, Gaṅgā itu pun sampai ke Gunung Meru.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'thereupon/then'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) — conjunction

• aṃḍasya: of the cosmic egg
• aṃḍasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive

• śirasaḥ: of the head/top
• śirasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive

• dhārā: stream, flow
• dhārā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhārā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative

• nīramayī: watery, consisting of water
• nīramayī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīra-maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — adjective agreeing with धारा; समास: नीरस्य मयी (made of water)

• śivā: Śivā (the auspicious goddess)
• śivā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative (apposition to धारा)

• sarva-lokān: all the worlds
• sarva-lokān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — accusative; समास: सर्वे लोकाः (all worlds)

• samāplāvya: having inundated
• samāplāvya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-plu (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — 'having flooded'; उपसर्ग: सम्+आ

• gaṃgā: Gaṅgā
• gaṃgā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative

• merau: on/at Meru
• merau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: meru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative

• upāgatā: arrived, came near
• upāgatā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ā-gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used actively), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'having come/arrived'; उपसर्ग: उप+आ

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (cosmic course to Meru)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the crown of the cosmic Egg a luminous water-stream manifests as Gaṅgā, surges through the worlds, and arcs toward Mount Meru, bathing realms in a radiant flood.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṅgā is portrayed as an auspicious, world-purifying power whose movement sanctifies the entire cosmos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Meru is referenced as a sacred cosmic locus; the verse primarily glorifies Gaṅgā’s cosmic descent rather than a terrestrial tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse establishes Gaṅgā’s sanctifying presence as the basis for later tīrtha and snāna merit.