Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

गंगा च यमुना पुण्या सरयूश्च सरस्वती । सेतौ रामेश्वरं देवं भजंते स्वाघशांतये

Transliteration

gaṃgā ca yamunā puṇyā sarayūśca sarasvatī | setau rāmeśvaraṃ devaṃ bhajaṃte svāghaśāṃtaye

Translation

Gaṅgā et Yamunā, la sainte Sarayū et Sarasvatī, vénèrent le Seigneur Rāmeśvara à Setu, afin d’apaiser leurs propres souillures et fautes.

Word by Word

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• यमुना: Yamunā
• यमुना: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• पुण्या: holy
• पुण्या: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of rivers)

• सरयूः: Sarayū
• सरयूः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरयू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• सेतौ: at the bridge (Setu)
• सेतौ: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• रामेश्वरम्: Rāmeśvara
• रामेश्वरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; रामेश्वरस्य विशेष्य

• भजन्ते: worship
• भजन्ते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• स्वाघशान्तये: for the pacification of their own sin
• स्वाघशान्तये: प्रयोजन (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for the sake of)

Speaker

Narratorial voice (contextual Purāṇic narrator; within Setukhaṇḍa tradition often Sūta addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-Rāmeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas/pilgrims (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four great river goddesses appear as luminous women with water pots and flowing garments, offering worship to the Rāmeśvara liṅga at Setu; the sea and the bridge-like shoreline frame the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Sarayū
• Sarasvatī
• Rāmeśvara (Śiva)
• Setu (Rāmeśvaram)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s greatness is such that even revered rivers honor the deity there, teaching humility and the supremacy of divine refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu–Rāmeśvara (Rāmeśvaram), celebrated as a supreme tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhajana/worship of Rāmeśvara at Setu as a means of agha-śānti (pacification of sin/impurity).