Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

वियद्व्यापी सुरसरित्प्रवाहो विप्रुषाकृतिः । बभूव यस्य शिरसि कस्तस्मात्परमो भवेत्

Transliteration

viyadvyāpī surasaritpravāho vipruṣākṛtiḥ | babhūva yasya śirasi kastasmātparamo bhavet

Translation

Der himmelfüllende Strom des göttlichen Flusses wurde auf Seinem Haupt nur zu einem einzigen Tröpfchen. Wer könnte größer sein als Er?

Word by Word

• वियत्-व्यापी: pervading the sky
• वियत्-व्यापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वियत् (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वियत् व्याप्नोति इति)

• सुरसरित्-प्रवाहः: the stream of the divine river (Gaṅgā)
• सुरसरित्-प्रवाहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरसरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सुरसरितः प्रवाहः)

• विप्रुषा-आकृतिः: having the form of droplets
• विप्रुषा-आकृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्रुष्/विप्रुषा (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विप्रुषा इव आकृतिः)

• बभूव: became / came to be
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचकः (relative)

• शिरसि: on (his) head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तस्मात्: than him
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• परमः: greater
• परमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवेत्: could be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Viṣṇupadī/Surasarit)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Gaṅgādhara: the vast celestial river arcs through the sky yet condenses into a tiny droplet resting on His jaṭā, with devas watching in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Śiva (implied, bearer of Gaṅgā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The immeasurable is made manageable by Śiva; the Divine can contain and sanctify overwhelming powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse evokes Gaṅgā’s descent motif rather than naming a single site; it aligns with Gaṅgā’s sacred geography broadly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it supports reverence for Śiva as Gaṅgādhara and for Gaṅgā as a purifier.