Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

मा मु ह्रदं समागत्य दूतः प्रोक्तो मया यतः । ततो मामुह्रदमिति ख्यातिं यातु धरातले

Transliteration

mā mu hradaṃ samāgatya dūtaḥ prokto mayā yataḥ | tato māmuhradamiti khyātiṃ yātu dharātale

Translation

ଏହି ହ୍ରଦକୁ ଆସି ମୁଁ ଦୂତକୁ ‘ମା ମୁ’ ବୋଲି କହିଥିଲି; ତେଣୁ ଏହି ସ୍ଥାନ ପୃଥିବୀରେ ‘ମାମୁହ୍ରଦ’ ନାମରେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ ହେଉ।

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Prohibition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (prohibitive particle: “do not”)

• मु: pray/indeed (particle)
• मु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मु (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन/अनुनयार्थक-निपात (particle used for emphasis/entreaty; often with mā)

• ह्रदम्: the lake
• ह्रदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• समागत्य: having come
• समागत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): “having come/approached”

• दूतः: a messenger
• दूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• प्रोक्तः: was declared (as)
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya-pratipadika (Predicative/क्रियाविशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — “spoken/declared” (agreeing with दूतः)

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

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: “because/since”)

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Consequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततस् (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb: “therefore/from that”)

• मामुह्रदमिति: as ‘Māmuhrada’
• मामुह्रदमिति: Sambandha (Quotation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मामुह्रदम् (प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण नाम) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक इति; ‘मामुह्रदम्’ इति नाम-निर्देशः (quotation marker; naming)

• ख्यातिम्: fame/name
• ख्यातिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख्याति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• यातु: let it spread
• यातु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — “let it go/spread”

• धरातले: on the earth
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; समास: धरायाः तलम् (on the earth’s surface)

Speaker

Mudgala (contextual; naming etymology)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māmuhrada

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the edge of a tranquil lake, a sage addresses a messenger; the utterance ‘mā mu’ becomes the seed of the lake’s name, with subtle divine presence in the atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Mudgala
• Māmuhrada (Hrada/Tīrtha)
• Dūta (messenger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are remembered through dharmic events and utterances; speech and intention can sanctify geography in Purāṇic tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māmuhrada (a sacred lake/tīrtha) in the Arbuda-khaṇḍa narrative landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it establishes the tīrtha’s name and ensuing fame.