Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

शतमष्टाधिकं प्राह प्रत्येकं सङ्गमेषु च । नदीनामवशिष्टानां कावेरीसङ्गमं विना

Transliteration

śatamaṣṭādhikaṃ prāha pratyekaṃ saṅgameṣu ca | nadīnāmavaśiṣṭānāṃ kāverīsaṅgamaṃ vinā

Translation

Er sprach, dass an jeder Flussmündung, an jedem Zusammenfluss, für die übrigen Flüsse jeweils hundertacht Tīrthas seien — außer am Zusammenfluss der Kāverī.

Word by Word

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• अष्टाधिकम्: eight more (i.e., 108)
• अष्टाधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘अष्टाभिः अधिकम्’ (= eight more)

• प्राह: said/declared
• प्राह: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अह्/√ब्रू (धातु; ‘to say’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘said’

• प्रत्येकम्: each (separately)
• प्रत्येकम्: Manner (Prakaraṇa/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय (adverb) ‘each/separately’

• सङ्गमेषु: at the confluences
• सङ्गमेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• नदीनाम्: of the rivers
• नदीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• अवशिष्टानाम्: remaining/other
• अवशिष्टानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-√शिष् (धातु) → अवशिष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘नदीनाम्’)

• कावेरीसङ्गमम्: the Kāverī confluence
• कावेरीसङ्गमम्: Apadana (Exclusion/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कावेरी + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अपादान-सम्बन्धे ‘विना’ सह (object of exclusion)

• विना: without/except
• विना: Apadana (Exclusion/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: वर्जनार्थक अव्यय/उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable)

Speaker

Bhārgava (implied by continuity of narration in Adhyāya 231)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṅgamas (general); Kāverī-saṅgama (exception)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija audience (implicit from surrounding address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A confluence where two rivers meet, shown as differently colored streams merging; a sage indicates ‘108’ with a mālā; a separate distant vignette hints at the Kāverī confluence marked as ‘exception’ with a distinct aura.

Characters & Entities

• Saṅgama (confluence)
• Kāverī-saṅgama
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Confluences are emphasized as concentrated sacred zones, commonly hosting a complete set symbolized by the number 108.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

River confluences in general are praised, with special attention to the Kāverī confluence as an exception.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse frames confluences as especially potent pilgrimage nodes.