Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ऋषिभिः प्रार्थ्यमानेन नद्यो मुक्ता मया यतः । तोयरूपा महावेगा अभिषेकाय सत्वराः

Transliteration

ṛṣibhiḥ prārthyamānena nadyo muktā mayā yataḥ | toyarūpā mahāvegā abhiṣekāya satvarāḥ

Translation

„Weil mich die Ṛṣis darum baten, habe ich diese Flüsse freigegeben. In Wasserform, schnell und von gewaltiger Strömung, eilen sie zur Abhiṣeka, zur heiligen Weihe.“

Word by Word

• ऋषिभिः: by the sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• प्रार्थ्यमानेन: being entreated (by them)
• प्रार्थ्यमानेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रार्थय् (धातु) → प्रार्थ्यमान (कृदन्त, वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), कर्मणि प्रयोग; विशेषण (यतः-कारणस्य/हेतोः सूचक)

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

• मुक्ताः: were released
• मुक्ताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (were released)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Form: अव्यय; कारणार्थक (because/for which reason)

• तोयरूपाः: having the form of water
• तोयरूपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तोयस्य रूपम् इति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (नद्यः)

• महावेगाः: of great speed
• महावेगाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् वेगः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (नद्यः)

• अभिषेकाय: for consecration (ablution)
• अभिषेकाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• सत्वराः: swiftly; in haste
• सत्वराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (नद्यः)

Speaker

Brahmā (implied continuation of his statement introduced in v.22–23; framed by Īśvara’s narration in the adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṣitoyā (foreshadowed) / sacred rivers for abhiṣeka in Prabhāsa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munis/Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rivers personified as luminous streams rushing like horses toward a liṅga for abhiṣeka; sages’ prayers hover in the air as mantra-letters; Brahmā watches, satisfied.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sacred rivers
• Abhiṣeka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual consecration is empowered by sacred waters granted through divine compassion and the sages’ prayer.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, contextualized as a place where sacred waters support consecration and sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka (ritual bathing/consecration) is explicitly referenced as the purpose for which the waters hasten.