Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

रेवाद्याः सरितः सर्वाः प्रचक्रुर्गीतनर्त्तनम् । प्रयागादीनि तीर्थानि सागराः पर्वतोत्तमाः

Transliteration

revādyāḥ saritaḥ sarvāḥ pracakrurgītanarttanam | prayāgādīni tīrthāni sāgarāḥ parvatottamāḥ

Translation

All the rivers, beginning with the Revā, set themselves to song and dance; Prayāga and the other tīrthas, the oceans, and the most excellent of mountains likewise joined in the celebration.

Word by Word

• रेवा-आद्याः: beginning with Revā
• रेवा-आद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रेवा आदिः यसासां ताः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘सरितः’ इति पदस्य विशेषणम् (Feminine, Nom, Plural; adjectival)

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘सरितः’ इति पदस्य विशेषणम् (Feminine, Nom, Plural; adjectival)

• प्रचक्रुः: performed; did
• प्रचक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person plural)

• गीत-नर्तनम्: singing and dancing
• गीत-नर्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + नर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (गीतं च नर्तनं च), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• प्रयाग-आदीनि: beginning with Prayāga
• प्रयाग-आदीनि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रयागः आदिः येषां तानि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘तीर्थानि’ इति पदस्य विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural; adjectival)

• तीर्थानि: holy places; tīrthas
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural)

• सागराः: oceans
• सागराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• पर्वत-उत्तमाः: excellent mountains
• पर्वत-उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (उत्तमाः पर्वताः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga and other tīrthas; Revā (Narmadā) invoked

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mythic panorama: the Narmadā leads a chorus of rivers as dancing women; Prayāga and other tīrthas appear as radiant shrines; oceans and mountains personified, all celebrating in unison.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Prayāga
• Tīrtha
• Sāgara
• Parvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When devotion reaches its height, even sacred geography is poetically portrayed as rejoicing—signifying universal approval of dharma and bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the implied focal point, while Revā (Narmadā) and Prayāga are named as eminent tīrthas participating in the praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it describes celebratory worship (gīta-nṛtya) as an expression of tīrtha-centered devotion.