Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अथ विष्णुपदीं देवीं श्रुत्वा सागरसंगताम् । इतस्ततः समाजग्मुः श्रद्दधानाः पयस्विनीम्

Transliteration

atha viṣṇupadīṃ devīṃ śrutvā sāgarasaṃgatām | itastataḥ samājagmuḥ śraddadhānāḥ payasvinīm

Translation

Alors, apprenant que la déesse Viṣṇupadī (la Gaṅgā) avait rejoint l’océan, des fidèles affluèrent de toutes parts vers ce fleuve aux eaux abondantes.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/आरम्भार्थक (indeclinable particle; then/now)

• विष्णुपदीम्: Viṣṇupadī (the sacred river/stream named so)
• विष्णुपदीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णुपदी (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु-पदी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (viṣṇoḥ padī = ‘of Viṣṇu’s footprint/step’)

• देवीम्: the goddess (divine one)
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य (apposition to विष्णुपदीम्)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकाल (having heard)

• सागर-संगताम्: joined with the ocean
• सागर-संगताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + संगता (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √गम् + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to विष्णुपदीम्/देवीम्); समासः तत्पुरुषः (सागरेण संगता/सागरं संगता = ‘joined with the ocean’)

• इतस्: from here
• इतस्: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक (ablatival adverb: from here/this side)

• ततः: from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक (from there/thence)

• समाजग्मुः: they came together / assembled
• समाजग्मुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रद्दधानाः: faithful / believing
• श्रद्दधानाः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद् + धा (धातु) → श्रद्धधान (कृदन्त; शतृ/शानच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle, Ātmanepada sense); विशेषण (to implied जनाः)

• पयस्विनीम्: the river Payasvinī
• पयस्विनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य (object of motion/approach)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā Māhātmya; not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī–Sāgara-saṅgama (contextual)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From all directions, devotees—men and women, ascetics and householders—converge toward a broad, water-rich river flowing into the sea; banners, waterpots, and offerings in hand.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇupadī (Gaṅgā)
• Ocean (Sāgara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith (śraddhā) moves people toward tīrthas; hearing of a sacred confluence inspires pilgrimage and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred meeting of the Gaṅgā (Viṣṇupadī) with the ocean is glorified within the Dvārakā Māhātmya’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the context implies tīrtha-visit and snāna at the river/confluence as meritorious.