Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणान्मूर्ध्नि देवि गंगां दधाम्यहम् । न स्नेहात्कामतो नैव जगद्येन प्रवर्तते

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇānmūrdhni devi gaṃgāṃ dadhāmyaham | na snehātkāmato naiva jagadyena pravartate

Translation

ด้วยเหตุนี้เอง โอ้เทวี ข้าพเจ้าจึงทรงคงคาไว้เหนือเศียร—มิใช่เพราะความรักล้วน ๆ และมิใช่เพราะความใคร่ปรารถนา หากเพราะนางเป็นเหตุให้โลกดำเนินไปได้

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apādāna (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• कारणात्: because of the reason
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• मूर्ध्नि: on (my) head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• गङ्गाम्: Ganga
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• दधामि: I hold/place
• दधामि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• स्नेहात्: from affection
• स्नेहात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• कामतः: out of desire
• कामतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘out of desire/at will’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/particle of emphasis)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• प्रवर्तते: proceeds/functions
• प्रवर्तते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Deva (likely Śiva) speaking to Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva seated in serene majesty, Gaṅgā as a luminous river-goddess emerging from his matted locks, flowing gently downward; Devī listens, emphasizing duty over desire; the world below thrives with rain and fields.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine acts are portrayed as dharma-driven and world-sustaining, not motivated by personal desire—Gaṅgā is upheld for the welfare of all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā herself is the central tīrtha; her sanctity is tied to Śiva’s role as her bearer and regulator.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse establishes theological grounding for Gaṅgā-veneration and śiva-gaṅgā sambandha (their sacred relationship).