Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

गंगायमुनयोः संगे नरः स्नात्वा समाहितः । शूद्रेश्वरं समालोक्य सद्यः स्वर्गमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

gaṃgāyamunayoḥ saṃge naraḥ snātvā samāhitaḥ | śūdreśvaraṃ samālokya sadyaḥ svargamavāpnuyāt

Translation

At the confluence of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā, a person who bathes with collected mind and beholds Śūdreśvara attains heaven immediately.

Word by Word

• गङ्गा-यमुनयोः: of (the rivers) Ganga and Yamuna
• गङ्गा-यमुनयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन (Dual)

• सङ्गे: at the confluence
• सङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• समाहितः: composed, concentrated
• समाहितः: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying नराḥ)

• शूद्र-ईश्वरम्: Śūdreśvara (the Lord named Śūdreśvara)
• शूद्र-ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śūdrāṇām īśvaraḥ)

• समालोक्य: having beheld
• समालोक्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अवाप्नुयात्: would attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā–Yamunā-saṅgama with Śūdreśvara-darśana

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa sages (ṛṣis)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, pilgrims descend stone steps into the meeting waters of Gaṅgā and Yamunā; after snāna, they proceed with wet garments and folded hands to a modest Śiva shrine of Śūdreśvara, offering water and bilva leaves.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Saṅgama (confluence)
• Śūdreśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes complete through both purification (snāna) and vision (darśana) of the deity, yielding swift spiritual reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā–Yamunā Saṅgama and the Śaiva shrine of Śūdreśvara/Śūdrakeśvara situated there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at the confluence with mental composure and take darśana (behold) of Śūdreśvara.