Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वर्षाऋतुसमायोगे सर्वा नद्यो रजस्वलाः । मुक्त्वा सरस्वतीं गङ्गां नर्मदां यमुनानदीम्

Transliteration

varṣāṛtusamāyoge sarvā nadyo rajasvalāḥ | muktvā sarasvatīṃ gaṅgāṃ narmadāṃ yamunānadīm

Translation

Quand survient la saison des pluies, toutes les rivières sont tenues pour « en état d’impureté »—sauf Sarasvatī, Gaṅgā, Narmadā et la rivière Yamunā.

Word by Word

• varṣā-ṛtu-samāyoge: at the rainy season
• varṣā-ṛtu-samāyoge: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक) + samāyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘at the conjunction/season of rains’)

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• nadyaḥ: rivers
• nadyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• rajasvalāḥ: (are) rajasvalā (ritually impure)
• rajasvalāḥ: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rajasvalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (menstruating/impure)

• muktvā: excepting/leaving aside
• muktvā: Kriya (Gerundial/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having left/excepting’

• sarasvatīm: Sarasvatī (river)
• sarasvatīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• gaṅgām: Gaṅgā
• gaṅgām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• narmadām: Narmadā
• narmadām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• yamunā-nadīm: the river Yamunā
• yamunā-nadīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yamunā (प्रातिपदिक) + nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘the river Yamunā’)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (Revā Khaṇḍa narrator voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Revā (Narmadā), Sarasvatī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (by continuity of the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon clouds pour over landscapes; many rivers are shown turbulent and symbolically ‘rajasvalā,’ while four rivers appear luminous and calm, personified as goddesses with clear waters, indicating exception and perennial sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Gaṅgā
• Narmadā
• Yamunā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography matters in Purāṇic dharma: certain rivers retain exceptional sanctity even when seasonal conditions affect ordinary waters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse elevates major river-tīrthas—especially Narmadā (Revā)—along with Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and Sarasvatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies a seasonal restriction/consideration for snāna (ritual bathing): most rivers are avoided in the rains, with named exceptions.