Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

यथायथा गता गावस्तत्र तोयं पिबंति ताः । सा गर्ता वक्त्रसंस्पर्शाद्वृद्धिं याति तथा तथा

Transliteration

yathāyathā gatā gāvastatra toyaṃ pibaṃti tāḥ | sā gartā vaktrasaṃsparśādvṛddhiṃ yāti tathā tathā

Translation

ਜਿਵੇਂ-ਜਿਵੇਂ ਹੋਰ ਗਾਂਵਾਂ ਉੱਥੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਪਾਣੀ ਪੀਂਦੀਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ, ਤਿਵੇਂ-ਤਿਵੇਂ ਉਹ ਗੜ੍ਹਾ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਮੂੰਹ ਦੇ ਸਪਰਸ਼ ਨਾਲ ਵਧਦਾ ਹੀ ਗਿਆ।

Word by Word

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यथातथा-संबन्धि (correlative)

• यथा: as and as / in whatever way
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (intensifying repetition)

• गताः: having gone/arrived
• गताः: Karta (Subject attribute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गत (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; to agree with गावः

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• पिबन्ति: drink
• पिबन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Parasmaipada

• ताः: they (those cows)
• ताः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (reiterating subject)

• सा: that (pit)
• सा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• गर्ता: pit/hole
• गर्ता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; appositional with सा

• वक्त्रसंस्पर्शात्: from contact with mouths
• वक्त्रसंस्पर्शात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र + संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (cause); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘वक्त्रस्य संस्पर्शः’)

• वृद्धिम्: increase/growth
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• याति: goes to / attains
• याति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• तथा: so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यथातथा-संबन्धि

• तथा: so (again and again)
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A steady stream of cows arrives; as each drinks, the pool’s rim subtly widens, ripples spreading outward, turning a small basin into a larger sacred pond.

Characters & Entities

• Cows (gāvaḥ)
• Gartā (basin/pond)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grace is shown as responsive and expansive: the sacred place grows to meet the needs of those who approach it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomukha-tīrtha, especially the growing water-basin associated with it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on the tīrtha’s self-manifesting, accommodating nature.