Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

मही महानदी तस्य चाक्षमालां ससागरा । ददौ मुदा कुमाराय दंडं चैव बृहस्पतिः

Transliteration

mahī mahānadī tasya cākṣamālāṃ sasāgarā | dadau mudā kumārāya daṃḍaṃ caiva bṛhaspatiḥ

Translation

A Terra, juntamente com os grandes rios e os oceanos, ofereceu-lhe com júbilo uma akṣamālā, o rosário sagrado; e Bṛhaspati também, alegremente, deu o bastão a Kumāra.

Word by Word

• महī: the Earth (goddess)
• महī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महानदी: the great river
• महानदी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-nadī (प्रातिपदिक; महा + नदी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अक्षमालाम्: a rosary (garland of beads)
• अक्षमालाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣa-mālā (प्रातिपदिक; अक्ष + माला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ससागरा: together with the ocean
• ससागरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-sāgarā (प्रातिपदिक; स + सागरा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying महī/महानदी)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धा॒ धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Hetu/Prakāra (हेतु/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mudā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भावे (in the sense of manner)

• कुमाराय: to Kumāra (Skanda)
• कुमाराय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• दण्डम्: a staff
• दण्डम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• बृहस्पतिः: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ceremonial court of devas: Bhū-devī personified with rivers and oceans presenting a rosary to youthful Kumāra; Bṛhaspati, the guru of devas, offers a staff as a sign of command and discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Mahī (Earth)
• Mahānadyaḥ (great rivers)
• Sāgaras (oceans)
• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Bṛhaspati
• Akṣamālā
• Daṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power is balanced by discipline: the rosary signifies japa and remembrance, while the staff signifies restraint and righteous governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse broadly glorifies sacred geography—earth, rivers, and oceans—rather than a single named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa is implied through the gifting of an akṣamālā, though no explicit rule is stated.