Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

श्रुतिभिः परिपठ्येते सिताऽसित सरिद्वरे । तत्राप्लुतां गाह्यमृतं भवंतीति विनिश्चितम्

Transliteration

śrutibhiḥ paripaṭhyete sitā'sita saridvare | tatrāplutāṃ gāhyamṛtaṃ bhavaṃtīti viniścitam

Translation

The Śrutis themselves proclaim the excellent rivers as “the White” and “the Dark.” It is firmly concluded that those who bathe there partake of ambrosial immortality.

Word by Word

• श्रुतिभिः: by the Vedas/Upaniṣads
• श्रुतिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• परिपठ्येते: are recited
• परिपठ्येते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन — Present, Passive, 3rd person, Dual

• सिता: white
• सिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• असिता: black/dark
• असिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सरित्-वरे: in the best of rivers
• सरित्-वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सरितां वरः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative adverbial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक-अव्यय — Indeclinable, locative adverb

• आप्लुताम्: bathed/immersed
• आप्लुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + प्लु (धातु) → आप्लुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• गाह्य: to be entered/forded
• गाह्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गाह् (धातु) → गाह्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be entered’)

• अमृतम्: nectar/immortality
• अमृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• भवती: becomes/is
• भवती: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → भवत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Present active participle used predicatively; Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक — Indeclinable, quotative particle

• विनिश्चितम्: is ascertained/decided
• विनिश्चितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + नि + चि (धातु) → विनिश्चित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga / Saṅgama (implied)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous riverbank where two personified rivers—one fair (Śvetā) and one dark (Asitā)—flow toward a sacred bathing place; Vedic ṛṣis recite Śruti while pilgrims enter the water, which shines like nectar.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti (Vedas)
• Sitā
• Asitā
• Prayāga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic testimony is invoked to affirm that bathing at Prayāga confers a deathless, nectar-like spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga’s sacred rivers/confluence, identified through the epithets Sitā and Asitā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna/āplavana (immersion) in the holy rivers at the tīrtha.