Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सद्यः पापहरा गंगा सप्ताहेन कलिंदजा । त्र्यहात्सरस्वती रेवे त्वं तु दर्शनमात्रतः

Transliteration

sadyaḥ pāpaharā gaṃgā saptāhena kaliṃdajā | tryahātsarasvatī reve tvaṃ tu darśanamātrataḥ

Translation

Die Gaṅgā tilgt Sünden sogleich; die Kalindajā (Yamunā) in sieben Tagen; die Sarasvatī in drei Tagen. Du aber, o Revā, tust es schon durch bloßes Anschauen.

Word by Word

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘तत्क्षणम्/तुरन्तम्’

• पापहरा: sin-removing
• पापहरा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-हर (प्रातिपदिक; हर = √हृ (धातु) ‘हरति’ से)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (गङ्गा-विशेषण)

• गंगा: Ganga
• गंगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सप्ताहेन: in a week (by a week)
• सप्ताहेन: Karaṇa/Adhikaraṇa (Means/Time-span/करण/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्ताह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/अवधि-निर्देश (instrumental of time-span)

• कलिंदजा: Kalindajā (Yamunā)
• कलिंदजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिन्द-जा (प्रातिपदिक; जा = √जन् (धातु) ‘जायते’ से)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नदी-नाम (यमुना)

• त्र्यहात्: in three days (within three days)
• त्र्यहात्: Apādāna/Time-span (Ablative of duration/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान/अवधि-निर्देश (ablative of time-span): ‘तीन दिनों में/से’

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• रेवे: O Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधन (vocative)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): विरोध/विशेष-प्रदर्शन ‘किन्तु/तो’

• दर्शनमात्रतः: merely by (your) sight
• दर्शनमात्रतः: Hetu/Upādhi (Cause/Condition/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दर्शन-मात्र-तस् (प्रातिपदिक + तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्यय/ablatival adverb): ‘केवल दर्शन से/मात्र दर्शन से’

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine speaker extols four sacred rivers, with Revā personified as a goddess receiving special praise; the rivers appear as flowing bands with attendant devas and tīrtha-symbols (kalaśa, lotus, conch).

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā (Kalindajā)
• Sarasvatī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain tīrthas are so potent that even darśana (sacred sight) itself becomes a purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā is uniquely praised as sin-destroying through mere darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of Narmadā is presented as efficacious; bathing is not required in this verse.