Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 171

Devanagari script

तज्जलं सरयूं भेजे परिपूर्णं ततो जलम् । अवगाह्य जलं सर्वे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा प्रहृष्टवत्

Transliteration

tajjalaṃ sarayūṃ bheje paripūrṇaṃ tato jalam | avagāhya jalaṃ sarve prāṇāṃstyaktvā prahṛṣṭavat

Translation

That water merged into the Sarayū, and the waters became wholly full. Entering that water, they all—rejoicing—cast off their life-breaths (leaving the body).

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; (जलम्) विशेषणम्

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• sarayūm: the Sarayū (river)
• sarayūm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarayū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• bheje: entered, resorted to
• bheje: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaj (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

• paripūrṇam: completely filled
• paripūrṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-√pṝ (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; (जलम्) विशेषणम्

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from that/thereafter)

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• avagāhya: having bathed/immersed
• avagāhya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ava-√gāh (धातु) + lyap (कृदन्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• sarve: all (of them)
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्

• prāṇān: life-breaths, lives
• prāṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचनम्

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √tyaj (धातु) + ktvā (कृदन्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• prahṛṣṭavat: as if delighted, joyfully
• prahṛṣṭavat: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prahṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (वत्-प्रत्ययान्तं क्रियाविशेषणम्: 'like/as if')

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced, Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarayū (Ayodhyā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (traditionally sages/devotees)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Sarayū swells to fullness as sanctified waters merge; devotees enter together, faces serene and uplifted, releasing breath in bliss; the river glows with a subtle divine radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Sarayū
• Gopratāra (context)
• Ṛṣis/Nāgas/Yakṣas (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At an exalted tīrtha, even death is portrayed as auspicious—undertaken with joy—because the place is believed to confer spiritual elevation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarayū at Ayodhyā, specifically the Gopratāra ford (tīrtha) in this chapter’s context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avagāha (ritual immersion/bathing) in the Sarayū is implied as the central act.