Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

भागीरथी प्रयागं च यमुना च सरस्वती । सरयूगंडकी पुण्या गोमती पूर्ववाहिनी

Transliteration

bhāgīrathī prayāgaṃ ca yamunā ca sarasvatī | sarayūgaṃḍakī puṇyā gomatī pūrvavāhinī

Translation

S’y trouvaient Bhāgīrathī (la Gaṅgā), Prayāga, Yamunā et Sarasvatī ; ainsi que la sainte Sarayū et la pure Gaṇḍakī, et Gomati qui s’écoule vers l’orient—tous ces fleuves et tīrtha sacrés s’assemblèrent.

Word by Word

• भागीरथी: Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā)
• भागीरथी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागीरथी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रयागम्: Prayāga
• प्रयागम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यमुना: Yamunā
• यमुना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सरयूगण्डकी: Sarayū and Gaṇḍakī (rivers)
• सरयूगण्डकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरयू + गण्डकी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative)

• पुण्या: holy, meritorious
• पुण्या: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• गोमती: Gomatī
• गोमती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूर्ववाहिनी: east-flowing
• पूर्ववाहिनी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative); विशेषण

Speaker

Śrī Prahlāda (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (explicit) alongside major rivers as tīrtha-bodies

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand procession of river-goddesses: Gaṅgā radiant with crocodile mount, Yamunā with tortoise, Sarasvatī with vīṇā, Sarayū and Gaṇḍakī with lotus garlands, Gomati flowing east—each moving toward the sea-facing city of Dvārakā.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā)
• Prayāga
• Yamunā
• Sarasvatī
• Sarayū
• Gaṇḍakī
• Gomatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All renowned rivers and confluence-tīrthas are unified in sanctity when oriented toward devotion to the supreme dhāma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā indirectly—these famous rivers and tīrthas are listed as participants in her glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse functions as a sacred-geography enumeration of tīrthas.