Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 148

Devanagari script

गंगाजलप्रवाहैश्च संयुक्तं यामुनैस्तथा । स्थितं सारस्वतं तोयं तत्र गर्तेषु तत्त्रयम्

Transliteration

gaṃgājalapravāhaiśca saṃyuktaṃ yāmunaistathā | sthitaṃ sārasvataṃ toyaṃ tatra garteṣu tattrayam

Translation

Dort blieb das Wasser der Sarasvatī, vereint mit den strömenden Wassern der Gaṅgā und ebenso der Yamunā. In den Vertiefungen dort stand jene Dreiheit heiliger Wasser beisammen.

Word by Word

• गङ्गाजलप्रवाहैः: with the streams of Gaṅgā-water
• गङ्गाजलप्रवाहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + जल + प्रवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (flows of Gaṅgā-water); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संयुक्तम्: joined, connected
• संयुक्तम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-युज् (धातु √युज्) + त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (context: predicate of toyaṃ)

• यामुनैः: with (the waters/streams) of Yamunā
• यामुनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यामुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• स्थितम्: present, situated
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु √स्था) + त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (context: predicate of toyaṃ)

• सारस्वतम्: Sarasvatī-related
• सारस्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (toyaṃ-विशेषण)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• गर्तेषु: in the pits/holes
• गर्तेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (त्रयम्-विशेषण)

• त्रयम्: the triad, the three (together)
• त्रयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (collective: threefold set)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triveṇī-garta / Sarasvatī-Gaṅgā-Yamunā-saṅgama (localized within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred depression in the earth filled with clear water; three distinct luminous currents—white (Gaṅgā), dark-blue (Yamunā), and subtle golden/transparent (Sarasvatī)—interweave while pilgrims perform snāna and offer flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse celebrates concentrated sanctity: multiple river-deities’ powers are believed to co-reside, making the site exceptionally purifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revatī/Vastrāpathakṣetra locale in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, described as holding a tri-river confluence in localized hollows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied suitability for snāna and ritual use of tīrtha water due to the presence of the three sacred waters together.