Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

दधौ गंगां स्वशीर्षेण पुष्पवंतौ च नेत्रयोः । हृदा नारायणं देवं ब्रह्माणं कटिमंडले

Transliteration

dadhau gaṃgāṃ svaśīrṣeṇa puṣpavaṃtau ca netrayoḥ | hṛdā nārāyaṇaṃ devaṃ brahmāṇaṃ kaṭimaṃḍale

Translation

அவன் தன் சிரத்தில் கங்கையைத் தாங்கினான்; தன் கண்களில் மலர்ச்சோபையை வைத்தான். இதயத்தில் நாராயண தேவனை நிறுவினான்; இடுப்புமண்டலத்தில் பிரம்மாவை மண்டலம்போல் பிரதிஷ்டை செய்தான்.

Word by Word

• दधौ: placed/held
• दधौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• गङ्गाम्: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वशीर्षेण: with/on his own head
• स्वशीर्षेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘स्वस्य शीर्षेण’

• पुष्पवन्तौ: flower-adorned (two)
• पुष्पवन्तौ: Karma-visheshana (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṣpavant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual); कर्म-विशेषणम् (for ‘netre’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• नेत्रयोः: in the two eyes
• नेत्रयोः: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th or Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual); अत्र अधिकरणे—‘in the two eyes’

• हृदा: with (his) heart
• हृदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); नारायणस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कटिमण्डले: in the waist-region
• कटिमण्डले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘कटेः मण्डले’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (invoked as śiras-sthāna tīrtha)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (forest-assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A striking consecration tableau: Lohāsura stands in ritual posture; a stylized Gaṅgā stream/crown-water rests on his head; lotus-flowers touch his eyes; within a translucent chest-lotus sits Nārāyaṇa; at the waist a small Brahmā icon appears—his body rendered as a living maṇḍala.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Nārāyaṇa
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The body is treated as a sacred field: inner consecration and reverence for divine presences prepare the aspirant for powerful austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is invoked as supreme purifier; while not a single locality is named, the river’s sanctity functions as portable tīrtha within the devotee.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A form of internal nyāsa/mental installation is implied—placing sacred presences (Gaṅgā, Nārāyaṇa, Brahmā) upon/within the body.