Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

मधुरायां तु कालिंदी गोमती कृष्णसन्निधौ । अयोध्यायां तु सरयूर्मुक्तिदा सेविता सदा

Transliteration

madhurāyāṃ tu kāliṃdī gomatī kṛṣṇasannidhau | ayodhyāyāṃ tu sarayūrmuktidā sevitā sadā

Translation

In Mathurā is the Kāliṇdī (Yamunā), and the Gomatī is in the presence of Kṛṣṇa (at Dvārakā). In Ayodhyā is the Sarayū, ever revered, bestower of liberation.

Word by Word

• मधुरायाम्: in Mathurā
• मधुरायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधानार्थक (particle)

• कालिन्दी: the Kāliṇdī (Yamunā) river
• कालिन्दी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• गोमती: the Gomati river
• गोमती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• कृष्णसन्निधौ: in Kṛṣṇa's presence
• कृष्णसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (in the presence of Kṛṣṇa), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• अयोध्यायाम्: in Ayodhyā
• अयोध्यायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधानार्थक (particle)

• सरयूः: the Sarayū river
• सरयूः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरयू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• मुक्तिदा: granting liberation
• मुक्तिदा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; 'giver')
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (muktiṃ dadāti iti), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• सेविता: is served; is resorted to
• सेविता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु; √सेव्) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāliṇdī (Yamunā), Gomatī, Sarayū

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tri-river tableau: Yamunā flowing by Mathurā’s ghats, Gomati at Krishna’s Dvārakā sannidhi, and Sarayū at Ayodhyā revered as mukti-dāyinī.

Characters & Entities

• Mathurā
• Kāliṇdī (Yamunā)
• Gomatī
• Kṛṣṇa
• Ayodhyā
• Sarayū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy rivers linked with Bhagavān and sacred cities function as living tīrthas that purify and lead toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mathurā (Kāliṇdī/Yamunā), Dvārakā (Gomatī near Kṛṣṇa), and Ayodhyā (Sarayū).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, reverent engagement (sevā) with these rivers—classically through snāna and remembrance—though not spelled out.