Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

स्रोतोमूर्तिधराः साक्षाल्लिंगस्नपनहेतवे । सरस्वत्यथ कालिंदी नर्मदा चातिशर्मदा

Transliteration

srotomūrtidharāḥ sākṣālliṃgasnapanahetave | sarasvatyatha kāliṃdī narmadā cātiśarmadā

Translation

Sie erscheinen wahrhaft in der Gestalt der Ströme, um das Bad des Liṅga zu bewirken: Sarasvatī, ferner Kālin̄dī (Yamunā) und Narmadā, die überaus Frieden und Heil spendet.

Word by Word

• स्रोतोमूर्तिधराः: bearers of the form of streams
• स्रोतोमूर्तिधराः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रोतस् + मूर्ति + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्रोतसां मूर्तिं धरन्ति)

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: directly/manifestly)

• लिङ्ग-स्नपन-हेतवे: for the purpose of bathing the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-स्नपन-हेतवे: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + स्नपन + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य स्नपनस्य हेतुः)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Apposition/name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक (then/now)

• कालिन्दी: Kālindī (Yamunā)
• कालिन्दी: Karta (Apposition/name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Apposition/name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• अतिशर्मदा: Atiśarmadā (giver of great comfort)
• अतिशर्मदा: Karta (Apposition/name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + शर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अत्यन्तं शर्म ददाति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī–Kālindī–Narmadā tri-srotas (for liṅga-snapana)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three river-goddess streams—Sarasvatī, Yamunā, Narmadā—flow toward a Śiva liṅga for ceremonial bathing; priests and devotees perform abhiṣeka as the waters shimmer with auspicious calm.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Kālindī (Yamunā)
• Narmadā
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

River-deities are revered as living sacred presences that support Śiva-worship, especially through Liṅga abhiṣeka/snāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Virajā-pīṭha/Triviṣṭapa-liṅga setting within Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where these stream-forms are said to be present.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-snāna (ritual bathing/abhiṣeka) is explicitly indicated as the purpose connected with these sacred waters.