Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

गौरीपूजाकृते मां च निवारयति सर्वदा । ततोऽहं भयसन्त्रस्ता गौरीभक्तिपरायणा । जलार्थं यत्र गच्छामि तस्मिंश्चैव जलाश्रये

Transliteration

gaurīpūjākṛte māṃ ca nivārayati sarvadā | tato'haṃ bhayasantrastā gaurībhaktiparāyaṇā | jalārthaṃ yatra gacchāmi tasmiṃścaiva jalāśraye

Translation

เพราะข้าพเจ้าบูชาพระคุรี เขาจึงคอยห้ามข้าพเจ้าอยู่เสมอ ดังนั้นแม้หวาดหวั่น ข้าพเจ้าก็ยังตั้งมั่นในภักติแด่พระคุรี; คราใดออกไปหา น้ำ ข้าพเจ้าก็ไปยังแหล่งน้ำนั้นเอง

Word by Word

• gaurī-pūjā-kṛte: for Gaurī worship
• gaurī-pūjā-kṛte: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ (कृ))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (कृते = 'for the sake of'); हेतौ सप्तमी — for (the purpose of) Gaurī-worship

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन — accusative singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — and

• nivārayati: prevents
• nivārayati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (वृ) with ni + ā (निवारयति; causative from √vṛ/√vṛt)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative) — prevents/forbids

• sarvadā: always
• sarvadā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — always

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय — then/thereupon

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhaya-santtrastā: terrified
• bhaya-santtrastā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + santtrastā (कृदन्त; √tras (त्रस्) with sam)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'aham' इति विशेष्येण सह — frightened with fear

• gaurī-bhakti-parāyaṇā: wholly devoted to Gaurī-devotion
• gaurī-bhakti-parāyaṇā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'aham' इति विशेष्येण सह — devoted to devotion to Gaurī

• jala-artham: for water
• jala-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अर्थः), द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे — for water (purpose)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — where

• gacchāmi: I go
• gacchāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्)
• Form: लट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — I go

• tasmin: in that (place)
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन — in that (place)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — and

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — indeed

• jala-āśraye: in the water-source
• jala-āśraye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — in the water-reservoir/shelter of water

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (context suggests a woman devotee recounting events)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frightened yet radiant devotee walks with a water-pot toward a quiet pond/riverbank; she glances back as if watched, while inwardly focused on Gaurī.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast devotion to Gaurī shapes one’s choices and conduct even under fear, turning basic needs like water-seeking into dharmic, sacred action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific tīrtha name is not stated in this verse; it frames the approach to a water-source (jala-āśraya) that will be contextualized by the surrounding māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, Gaurī-pūjā (worship of Gaurī) is central; the verse sets up later details about how she worships at the water-source.