Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

धनदा धर्मदा चैव नर्मदा सकलप्रिया । वामनालंबिका कृष्णा दीर्घशृंगा सुपिच्छिका

Transliteration

dhanadā dharmadā caiva narmadā sakalapriyā | vāmanālaṃbikā kṛṣṇā dīrghaśṛṃgā supicchikā

Translation

وہ دھنَدا (دولت بخشنے والی)، دھرمَدا (دھرم عطا کرنے والی)، نرمَدا (سرور بخشنے والی) اور سکلپریا (سب کی محبوب) کہلاتی تھیں؛ نیز وامنالَمبِکا، کرشنا، دیرغ شرنگا اور سپِچّھِکا بھی۔

Word by Word

• धनदा: Dhanadā (name)
• धनदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• धर्मदा: Dharmadā (name)
• धर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

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

• नर्मदा: Narmadā (name)
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सकलप्रिया: Sakalapriyā (name; 'beloved of all')
• सकलप्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकल + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('सकलानां प्रिया/सर्वप्रिय'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वामनालंबिका: Vāmanālaṃbikā (name)
• वामनालंबिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन + आलंबिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('वामना आलंबिका'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृष्णा: Kṛṣṇā (name)
• कृष्णा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दीर्घशृङ्गा: Dīrghaśṛṅgā (name; 'long-horned')
• दीर्घशृङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ + शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('दीर्घे शृङ्गे यस्याः'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुपिच्छिका: Supicchikā (name)
• सुपिच्छिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + पिच्छिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('सु-पिच्छिका' = 'सुन्दर-पिच्छा/पिच्छिका'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; prior narration in the chapter)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred herd with distinctive features—dark-hued cow, long-horned cow, crested cow—standing near a tīrtha path as pilgrims and sages observe their auspicious qualities.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy beings in tīrtha-narratives are praised through dhārmic qualities—especially their power to bestow prosperity, merit, and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, the verse continues a localized sacred narrative; the immediate passage focuses on the wondrous being(s) connected to the chapter’s tīrtha setting rather than naming a famous pan-Indian site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated in this verse; it is primarily descriptive praise (stuti-style epithets).