Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

एकैकस्याः पृथक्तेन प्रपपौ प्रयतः स्तनम् । द्वाभ्यामालिंगयामास भुजाभ्यां स्नेहपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

ekaikasyāḥ pṛthaktena prapapau prayataḥ stanam | dvābhyāmāliṃgayāmāsa bhujābhyāṃ snehapūrvakam

Translation

ਉਸ ਨੇ ਹਰ ਮਾਤਾ ਦੇ ਸਤਨ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ, ਯਤਨ ਨਾਲ ਦੁੱਧ ਪੀਆ; ਅਤੇ ਦੋਹਾਂ ਬਾਂਹਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਸਨੇਹ-ਭਾਵ ਨਾਲ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੋਮਲਤਾ ਨਾਲ ਗਲੇ ਲਾਇਆ।

Word by Word

• एकैकस्याः: of each (one)
• एकैकस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘एकैक’ = प्रत्येक (each one)

• पृथक्तेन: separately, one by one
• पृथक्तेन: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverbial instrumental form), ‘separately/one by one’

• प्रपपौ: drank/sucked
• प्रपपौ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रयतः: restrained, attentive
• प्रयतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि विशेषण (qualifying the subject)

• स्तनम्: breast
• स्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• द्वाभ्याम्: with two
• द्वाभ्याम्: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; ‘with two’

• आलिङ्गयामास: embraced
• आलिङ्गयामास: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लिङ्ग् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भुजाभ्याम्: with (his) two arms
• भुजाभ्याम्: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• स्नेहपूर्वकम्: affectionately
• स्नेहपूर्वकम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नेह-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय (adverb) ‘affectionately’

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine infant, serene and radiant, is nursed in turn by two mothers; he embraces them with both arms in tender affection, surrounded by a sanctified grove/āśrama-like setting.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāsena (Skanda)
• Kṛttikā Mothers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse sanctifies maternal care as dharma and portrays divine compassion expressed through intimate, relational bonds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-context is implicit in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; this verse foregrounds the miracle of nurture rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; it highlights loving care (sneha) and attentive conduct (prayatna) as virtues.