Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

मार्कंडेय उवाच । शृणुध्वं मुनयः सर्वे संति नद्यः परःशतम् । सर्वा अप्यघहारिण्यः सर्वा अपि वृषप्रदाः

Transliteration

mārkaṃḍeya uvāca | śṛṇudhvaṃ munayaḥ sarve saṃti nadyaḥ paraḥśatam | sarvā apyaghahāriṇyaḥ sarvā api vṛṣapradāḥ

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Hört, ihr Weisen alle: Es gibt mehr als hundert Flüsse; alle nehmen Sünde hinweg, und alle verleihen Dharma (Verdienst der Rechtschaffenheit).“

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शृणुध्वम्: listen (you all)
• शृणुध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Sambodhana (Address/Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifier)

• सन्ति: are/exist
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• नद्यः: rivers
• नद्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परःशतम्: more than a hundred
• परःशतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परः + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); संख्याविशेषण (numerical/quantifying)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• अघहारिण्यः: sin-removing
• अघहारिण्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ + हारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण; (अघं हरति इति)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also)

• वृषप्रदाः: givers of dharma/merit
• वृषप्रदाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृष + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण; (वृषं/धर्मं प्रददाति इति)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munayaḥ (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya seated in a forest āśrama addressing gathered sages; behind them a stylized river network symbolizing ‘hundreds of rivers’ as luminous streams.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Sages
• Rivers (nadyaḥ)
• Dharma (vṛṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All sacred rivers are honored as purifiers and supporters of dharma, preparing the listener for a discussion of relative greatness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rivers in general are praised; the specific ‘best’ river is addressed in the subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse affirms the purificatory and merit-giving nature of rivers.