Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

वियद्व्यापी सुरसरित्प्रवाहो विप्रुषाकृतिः । बभूव यस्य शिरसि कस्तस्मात्परमो भवेत्

Transliteration

viyadvyāpī surasaritpravāho vipruṣākṛtiḥ | babhūva yasya śirasi kastasmātparamo bhavet

Translation

Le flot du fleuve divin, qui emplit le ciel, ne fut plus qu’une simple goutte sur Sa tête. Qui pourrait être plus grand que Lui ?

Word by Word

• वियत्-व्यापी: pervading the sky
• वियत्-व्यापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वियत् (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वियत् व्याप्नोति इति)

• सुरसरित्-प्रवाहः: the stream of the divine river (Gaṅgā)
• सुरसरित्-प्रवाहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरसरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सुरसरितः प्रवाहः)

• विप्रुषा-आकृतिः: having the form of droplets
• विप्रुषा-आकृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्रुष्/विप्रुषा (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विप्रुषा इव आकृतिः)

• बभूव: became / came to be
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचकः (relative)

• शिरसि: on (his) head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तस्मात्: than him
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• परमः: greater
• परमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवेत्: could be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Viṣṇupadī/Surasarit)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Gaṅgādhara: the vast celestial river arcs through the sky yet condenses into a tiny droplet resting on His jaṭā, with devas watching in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Śiva (implied, bearer of Gaṅgā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The immeasurable is made manageable by Śiva; the Divine can contain and sanctify overwhelming powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse evokes Gaṅgā’s descent motif rather than naming a single site; it aligns with Gaṅgā’s sacred geography broadly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it supports reverence for Śiva as Gaṅgādhara and for Gaṅgā as a purifier.