Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

दमयंतीं कलिं कालं कलिंदतनयां शुभाम् । आगत्य मिलिता यत्र पुण्या स्वर्गतरंगिणी

Transliteration

damayaṃtīṃ kaliṃ kālaṃ kaliṃdatanayāṃ śubhām | āgatya militā yatra puṇyā svargataraṃgiṇī

Translation

Là, la sainte Svarga-taraṅgiṇī —la rivière qui s’écoule du ciel— vient et s’unit à Damayantī, à Kalī, à Kāla, et à l’auspicieuse fille de Kaliṃda (Yamunā).

Word by Word

• दमयन्तीम्: Damayantī (river)
• दमयन्तीम्: Karma (Object/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमयन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• कलिम्: Kalī (river)
• कलिम्: Karma (Object/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• कालम्: Kālā (river)
• कालम्: Karma (Object/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• कलिन्द-तनयाम्: the daughter of Kalinda (Yamunā)
• कलिन्द-तनयाम्: Karma (Object/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + तनया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: कलिन्दस्य तनया (यमुना)

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं (कलिन्दतनयाम्)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having come’

• मिलिता: met/merged
• मिलिता: Kriya (Predicate/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मिल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भावे: ‘met/merged’

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• पुण्या: holy
• पुण्या: Karta (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं (स्वर्गतरंगिणी)

• स्वर्ग-तरंगिणी: the heavenly river
• स्वर्ग-तरंगिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + तरंगिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: स्वर्गस्य तरंगिणी (heavenly river)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svarga-taraṅgiṇī–Yamunā saṅgama (with Damayantī, Kalī, Kāla)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand confluence panorama: multiple named rivers personified as goddesses flowing together; Yamunā (Kaliṃda-tanayā) receives the ‘Svarga-taraṅgiṇī’ amid swirling luminous currents.

Characters & Entities

• Svargataraṅgiṇī (Gaṅgā)
• Yamunā
• Kaliṃda
• Damayantī (river)
• Kalī (river)
• Kāla (river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The confluence of sacred rivers is portrayed as a concentrated locus of divine grace and purifying merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga is indicated through the theme of river-union (saṅgama), especially Gaṅgā–Yamunā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, snāna and worship at the river-saṅgama; the verse primarily describes the sanctity of the confluence.