Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

मा पुत्रि जलमध्येऽत्र मम मूर्तिचतुष्टयम् । परिभावय मद्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा चैव विधीयताम्

Transliteration

mā putri jalamadhye'tra mama mūrticatuṣṭayam | paribhāvaya madvākyaṃ śrutvā caiva vidhīyatām

Translation

“اے بیٹی! یہاں دھار کے بیچ میرے چار مقدس روپوں کو پانی میں غرق نہ کرنا۔ میرے کلام پر غور کرنا؛ اسے سن کر اسی کے مطابق عمل کرنا۔”

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (prohibitive particle)

• पुत्रि: O daughter
• पुत्रि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• जलमध्ये: in the water
• जलमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जलस्य मध्ये = in the middle of water)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• मूर्तिचतुष्टयम्: (my) four forms
• मूर्तिचतुष्टयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मूर्तीनां चतुष्टयम् = set of four forms)

• परिभावय: consider, reflect upon
• परिभावय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मत्-वाक्यम्: my words
• मत्-वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-सम्बद्ध) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मम वाक्यम् = my statement)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• विधीयताम्: let it be done / it should be carried out
• विधीयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: ‘let it be done’)

Speaker

Sureśvarī (Goddess/Gaurī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: river/ghat (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu (outer frame, implied) / Lakṣmī (inner instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess instructs Lakṣmī: do not immerse my four forms in the river’s midstream; reflect on my words and act accordingly.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Sureśvarī
• mūrticatuṣṭaya (four forms)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes correct ritual handling of sacred forms; devotion must be guided by scriptural and divine instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya, where the four forms are meant for sanctified establishment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not perform immersion (visarjana in water) of the four images; instead follow the Goddess’ prescribed procedure.