Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सरय्वाः संगमे पुण्ये स्नानार्थं समुपस्थितः । तत्र स्नात्वा पितॄन्देवान्संतर्प्य विधिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

sarayvāḥ saṃgame puṇye snānārthaṃ samupasthitaḥ | tatra snātvā pitṝndevānsaṃtarpya vidhipūrvakam

Translation

Il parvint à la sainte confluence de la Sarayū pour s’y baigner. S’y étant baigné, il accomplit selon le rite prescrit l’offrande de tarpaṇa, apaisant les Pitṛ et les Deva.

Word by Word

• सरय्वाः: of the Sarayū (river)
• सरय्वाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरयू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• संगमे: at the confluence
• संगमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पुण्ये: holy
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘संगमे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—स्नानस्य अर्थः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose)

• समुपस्थितः: arrived/present
• समुपस्थितः: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था (धातु) → उपस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे/वाक्यक्रिया-स्थाने ‘arrived/present’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied
• संतर्प्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-तृप् (धातु) → संतर्प्य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having satisfied/propitiated’

• विधिपूर्वकम्: according to proper rite
• विधिपूर्वकम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarayū-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya at the river confluence: dawn light, flowing waters meeting; the sage emerges from snāna, then sits on kuśa facing the water, offering tarpaṇa with joined palms and water-streams, honoring Pitṛs and Devas.

Characters & Entities

• Sarayū
• Saṅgama
• Pitṛs
• Devas
• Snāna
• Tarpaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is fulfilled by right action: bathing becomes spiritually complete when joined with orderly offerings to both Devas and Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The puṇya-saṅgama (holy confluence) of the Sarayū is highlighted as a place fit for snāna and tarpaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the Sarayū-saṅgama followed by tarpaṇa (satisfaction-offerings) to Pitṛs and Devas, performed vidhipūrvaka—according to proper procedure.