Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सरय्वाः संगमे पुण्ये स्नानार्थं समुपस्थितः । तत्र स्नात्वा पितॄन्देवान्संतर्प्य विधिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

sarayvāḥ saṃgame puṇye snānārthaṃ samupasthitaḥ | tatra snātvā pitṝndevānsaṃtarpya vidhipūrvakam

Translation

وصل إلى ملتقى نهر سَرَيو المقدّس ليغتسل. فاغتسل هناك، ثم وفقًا للطقس المقرّر قدّم تَرْبَنَة فأرضى الآباء (بيتْر) والآلهة (ديفا) على الوجه الصحيح.

Word by Word

• सरय्वाः: of the Sarayū (river)
• सरय्वाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरयू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• संगमे: at the confluence
• संगमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पुण्ये: holy
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘संगमे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—स्नानस्य अर्थः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose)

• समुपस्थितः: arrived/present
• समुपस्थितः: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था (धातु) → उपस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे/वाक्यक्रिया-स्थाने ‘arrived/present’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied
• संतर्प्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-तृप् (धातु) → संतर्प्य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having satisfied/propitiated’

• विधिपूर्वकम्: according to proper rite
• विधिपूर्वकम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarayū-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya at the river confluence: dawn light, flowing waters meeting; the sage emerges from snāna, then sits on kuśa facing the water, offering tarpaṇa with joined palms and water-streams, honoring Pitṛs and Devas.

Characters & Entities

• Sarayū
• Saṅgama
• Pitṛs
• Devas
• Snāna
• Tarpaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is fulfilled by right action: bathing becomes spiritually complete when joined with orderly offerings to both Devas and Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The puṇya-saṅgama (holy confluence) of the Sarayū is highlighted as a place fit for snāna and tarpaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the Sarayū-saṅgama followed by tarpaṇa (satisfaction-offerings) to Pitṛs and Devas, performed vidhipūrvaka—according to proper procedure.