Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

सर्वमंगलमांगल्यं पुण्यं सारस्वतं जलम् । ऊर्ध्वं किं दिवि यत्पुण्यं प्रभासांते व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

sarvamaṃgalamāṃgalyaṃ puṇyaṃ sārasvataṃ jalam | ūrdhvaṃ kiṃ divi yatpuṇyaṃ prabhāsāṃte vyavasthitam

Translation

Das Sārasvata-Wasser ist höchst glückverheißend—ein Glückszeichen über allen Glückszeichen. Welches höhere Verdienst könnte es selbst im Himmel geben als das Verdienst, das am Ende von Prabhāsa gegründet ist?

Word by Word

• सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्यम्: the auspiciousness of all auspicious things
• सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + मङ्गल + माङ्गल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying जलम्)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying जलम्)

• सारस्वतम्: of Sarasvatī
• सारस्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying जलम्)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ऊर्ध्वम्: above, higher
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial use); दिशावाचक (directional adverb)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रभासान्ते: at Prabhāsa’s end/at Prabhāsa region
• प्रभासान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितम्: situated, established
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पुण्यम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sārasvata jala (Sarasvatī-associated tīrtha water) linked with Prabhāsa-anta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant vessel or flowing stream labeled ‘Sārasvata jala’ shines with auspicious light; in the distance, the Prabhāsa sacred landscape appears—sea-coast glow, tīrtha banks, and a sense of culmination, as if the merit itself is ‘established’ there.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Sārasvata jala
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography matters: the merit of holy waters and tīrthas can surpass even celestial attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī’s sacred waters, especially as established in the Prabhāsa region (Prabhāsānta).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly encourages contact with/usage of Sārasvata water (snāna, ācamana, tīrtha-sevā), though not spelled out here.