Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

पृथ्वी सागरपर्यंता दृष्टा सर्वा तदानघ । महीनाम नदी पुण्या सर्वतीर्थमयी शुभा

Transliteration

pṛthvī sāgaraparyaṃtā dṛṣṭā sarvā tadānagha | mahīnāma nadī puṇyā sarvatīrthamayī śubhā

Translation

হে নিষ্পাপ! আমি সমুদ্র-পর্যন্ত সমগ্র পৃথিবী দেখেছি। সেখানে ‘মহী’ নামে এক পুণ্য নদী আছে—শুভ, পবিত্র, এবং সর্বতীর্থময়ী।

Word by Word

• पृथ्वी: the earth
• पृथ्वी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सागरपर्यन्ता: extending up to the ocean
• सागरपर्यन्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर + पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सागरस्य पर्यन्तः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दृष्टा: was seen
• दृष्टा: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः (seen)

• सर्वा: entire, all
• सर्वा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महीनाम्: of the earths/lands
• महीनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नदी: river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुण्या: holy, meritorious
• पुण्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सर्वतीर्थमयी: consisting of all sacred fords
• सर्वतीर्थमयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वाणि तीर्थानि यस्यां/यस्याः मयत्वेन); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Bhṛgu (contextual, continuing narration to Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī-nadī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhṛgu describes the earth surveyed to the ocean’s rim, then points to the Mahī as a luminous ribbon of water, surrounded by tīrtha-symbols (miniature shrines, sages, and devas) suggesting ‘all tīrthas within’.

Characters & Entities

• Mahī (river)
• Sāgara (ocean)
• Tīrtha
• Nārada (listener, contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain sacred rivers are portrayed as concentrated sanctuaries—approaching them is akin to visiting many tīrthas at once.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahī-nadī is praised as sarvatīrthamayī (embodying all tīrthas).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite here; it establishes the river’s exceptional sanctity, implying pilgrimage and bathing will be meritorious.