Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पवित्रास्तं गजं द्रष्टुं भावितेनांतरात्मना । यत्रैकत्र स्थिता विप्रास्तत्र तीर्थं महोदयम् । संगमेश्वरसंज्ञं तु पूर्वं सर्वत्र विश्रुतम्

Transliteration

pavitrāstaṃ gajaṃ draṣṭuṃ bhāvitenāṃtarātmanā | yatraikatra sthitā viprāstatra tīrthaṃ mahodayam | saṃgameśvarasaṃjñaṃ tu pūrvaṃ sarvatra viśrutam

Translation

Innerlich gereinigt und im Herzen darauf ausgerichtet, jenen Elefanten zu schauen, blieben die Brāhmaṇen an einem Ort beisammen. Eben dieser Ort ist das hoch erhebende Tīrtha, das einst überall unter dem Namen Saṃgameśvara berühmt war.

Word by Word

• pavitrāḥ: pure, purified
• pavitrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pavitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• tam: that (him/it)
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• gajam: elephant
• gajam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• draṣṭum: to see
• draṣṭum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तः अव्यय-भावः (Infinitive)

• bhāvitena: with a cultivated/meditated
• bhāvitena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvita (कृदन्त; भू/भाव् धातु से क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• antarātmanā: with inner self/mind
• antarātmanā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antar-ātman (प्रातिपदिक; अन्तर + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; स्थानवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: where)

• eka-tra: in one place
• eka-tra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka + tra (अव्यय-निर्माण)
• Form: अव्ययम्; स्थानवाचक (in one place/together)

• sthitāḥ: standing, situated
• sthitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthita (कृदन्त; स्था धातु से क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• viprāḥ: brahmins
• viprāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; स्थानवाचक (there)

• tīrtham: holy ford/pilgrimage spot
• tīrtham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• mahodayam: of great rise/prosperity; very auspicious
• mahodayam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-udaya (प्रातिपदिक; महा + उदय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• saṃgameśvara-saṃjñam: named ‘Saṃgameśvara’
• saṃgameśvara-saṃjñam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃgama + īśvara + saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Kala (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक (formerly, earlier)

• sarvatra: everywhere
• sarvatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; सर्वत्र-स्थानवाचक (everywhere)

• viśrutam: well-known, renowned
• viśrutam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśruta (कृदन्त; श्रु धातु से क्त, वि-उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃgameśvara

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas, inwardly purified, stand together at a luminous confluence-ford; a Śiva-marker (liṅga or shrine) indicates the name Saṃgameśvara; waters meet with a visible swirl, suggesting ‘mahodayam’.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃgameśvara Tīrtha
• vipras (brāhmaṇas)
• mahāgaja (elephant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner purification and focused intent transform a location into a recognized tīrtha, revealing sacredness through lived devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Saṃgameśvara Tīrtha, described as ‘mahodayam’ (greatly exalting) and long renowned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse emphasizes purity of heart and congregating at the tīrtha as a devotional act.