Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

मातृवत्प्रतिपाल्यं ते सदा देवि पुरं मम । गरुडोऽपि ततः स्नात्वा सम्पूज्य कनकेश्वरीम्

Transliteration

mātṛvatpratipālyaṃ te sadā devi puraṃ mama | garuḍo'pi tataḥ snātvā sampūjya kanakeśvarīm

Translation

ข้าแต่เทวี โปรดคุ้มครองนครของข้าตลอดกาลดุจมารดาปกปักบุตร ครั้นแล้วครุฑก็อาบน้ำ ณ ที่นั้น และบูชาพระนางกนเกศวรีด้วยความเคารพยิ่ง

Word by Word

• मातृवत्: like a mother
• मातृवत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमानार्थ-क्रियाविशेषण), ‘मातृवत्’ = मातृसदृशम् (like a mother)

• प्रतिपाल्यम्: should be protected/cared for
• प्रतिपाल्यम्: Vidheyapada (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रतिपाल् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्यय), कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be protected/maintained’ (ought to be cared for)

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; ‘to you/for you’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• गरुडः: Garuḍa
• गरुडः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि = also/even)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Sequencing adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपादान/क्रमवाचक: ‘thereafter/from there’)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having bathed’

• सम्पूज्य: having worshipped
• सम्पूज्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having duly worshipped’

• कनकेश्वरीम्: Kanakeśvarī (the goddess)
• कनकेश्वरीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनकेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lakṣmī (first sentence), then Mārkaṇḍeya continues narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kanakeśvarī/Kanakeśvara-tīrtha (as implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred city-gate or temple-precinct: the Devī addressed as motherly guardian; Garuḍa, radiant and winged, completes snāna at a tīrtha and offers full worship to Kanakeśvarī with lamps, flowers, and incense.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī
• Devī
• Garuḍa
• Kanakeśvarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred place thrives under divine guardianship, and pilgrims gain merit through snāna and heartfelt pūjā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha associated with Kanakeśvarī, where Garuḍa bathes and worships.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) followed by sampūjā (complete worship) of Kanakeśvarī.