Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 104

Devanagari script

नास्ति मातृसमं त्राणं नास्ति मातृसमा प्रपा । कुक्षिसंधारणाद्धात्री जननाज्जननी तथा

Transliteration

nāsti mātṛsamaṃ trāṇaṃ nāsti mātṛsamā prapā | kukṣisaṃdhāraṇāddhātrī jananājjananī tathā

Translation

世间无有护佑胜过母亲；无有歇息依止胜过母亲。因她怀胎承载，故称为“Dhātrī”（护持养育者）；因她分娩生子，故称为“Jananī”（生母）。

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• asti: exists/is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Present indicative 3rd sg

• mātṛ-samam: equal to a mother
• mātṛ-samam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मातुः समम्); adjective to 'trāṇam'; Nominative singular

• trāṇam: protection
• trāṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• asti: exists/is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Present indicative 3rd sg

• mātṛ-samā: equal to a mother
• mātṛ-samā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मातुः समा); adjective to 'prapā'; Nominative singular

• prapā: watering place/rest-house (charitable water-shed)
• prapā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prapā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• kukṣi-saṃdhāraṇāt: from (her) bearing in the womb
• kukṣi-saṃdhāraṇāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kukṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃdhāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+√dhṛ + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: कुक्षेः संधारणम्); Ablative singular

• dhātrī: nurse/sustainer (mother as bearer)
• dhātrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhātrī (प्रातिपदिक; √dhṛ + तृच्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• jananāt: from giving birth
• jananāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janana (प्रातिपदिक; √jan + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular

• jananī: mother (the begetter)
• jananī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jananī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• tathā: thus/so
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'thus/so')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), contextually addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mother depicted as ‘Dhātrī’: one hand on her womb (symbolic), another offering water like a prapā to travelers; the son receives protection under her shawl-like ‘shade’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The mother is the highest protection and comfort, and her roles of sustaining and birthing are sacredly acknowledged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the imagery of prapā is metaphorical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it offers devotional-ethical instruction through praise and definition of motherhood.