Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सरस्वती सिंधुसंगो गंगासागरसंगमः । कांती च त्र्यंबकं चापि सप्तगोदावरीतटम्

Transliteration

sarasvatī siṃdhusaṃgo gaṃgāsāgarasaṃgamaḥ | kāṃtī ca tryaṃbakaṃ cāpi saptagodāvarītaṭam

Translation

সরস্বতী; সিন্ধুর সঙ্গে সঙ্গম; গঙ্গা ও সাগরের সঙ্গম; কান্তী; ত্র্যম্বক; এবং গোদাবরীর তীরে সাত পবিত্র তটভূমি—এগুলিও প্রশংসিত।

Word by Word

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नदी/तीर्थनाम

• सिंधुसंगः: Sindhu confluence
• सिंधुसंगः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सिन्धोः सङ्गः = confluence/meeting of Sindhu)

• गंगासागरसंगमः: confluence of Gaṅgā and the ocean
• गंगासागरसंगमः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः सागरस्य च सङ्गमः)

• कांती: Kāntī (a sacred place)
• कांती: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ती/कान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तीर्थनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• त्र्यंबकम्: Tryambaka (Tryambakeśvara area)
• त्र्यंबकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यंबक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तीर्थ/क्षेत्रनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also)

• सप्तगोदावरीतटम्: the seven banks of the Godāvarī
• सप्तगोदावरीतटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + गोदावरी (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गोदावर्याः तटम्) + ‘सप्त’ विशेषणपूर्वपद (सप्त-गोदावरी-तटम् = the seven banks/ghats of Godāvarī)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī tīrthas; Sindhu-saṅgama; Gaṅgā-sāgara; Tryambaka; Saptagodāvarī-taṭa; Kāṃtī (uncertain)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-listener

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A flowing sequence of sacred waters: a vanished Sarasvatī suggested by a dry riverbed with hidden shimmer; the mighty Sindhu confluence; Gaṅgā meeting the ocean at Gangāsāgar with pilgrims and waves; Tryambaka’s forested hills with a spring; and multiple Godāvarī bank scenes across seven stretches.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Sindhu-saṅgama
• Gaṅgāsāgara
• Kāṃtī
• Tryambaka
• Godāvarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

River confluences and river-banks are treated as potent tīrthas where the devotee’s contact with sacred waters supports purification and liberation-oriented merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgāsāgara, Tryambaka, and the Godāvarī banks are prominent; Sarasvatī and Sindhu-confluence tīrthas are also named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicit; traditionally these sites are approached for snāna (holy bathing), tarpaṇa, and worship connected with the river-deities and local liṅgas.