Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

पुण्यं सारस्वतं तोयं यत्र तत्रावगाह्यते । सागरेण तु संमिश्रं देवानामपि दुर्लभम्

Transliteration

puṇyaṃ sārasvataṃ toyaṃ yatra tatrāvagāhyate | sāgareṇa tu saṃmiśraṃ devānāmapi durlabham

Translation

Les eaux saintes de Sarasvatī confèrent du mérite partout où l’on s’y immerge. Lorsqu’elles se mêlent à l’océan, cette confluence est rare, même pour les dieux.

Word by Word

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; 'तोयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सारस्वतम्: of Sarasvatī
• सारस्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'तोयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: there)

• अवगाह्यते: is entered/bathed in
• अवगाह्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गाह् (धातु) + अव (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is bathed in / one bathes)

• सागरेण: with the ocean
• सागरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• संमिश्रम्: mixed together
• संमिश्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'तोयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; even/also)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'तोयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī–Sāgara Saṅgama (Prabhāsa)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous confluence: a clear river labeled Sarasvatī merges into the vast ocean; pilgrims bathe at the meeting point while celestial beings watch, underscoring ‘rare even for gods’.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters sanctify through contact and immersion; tīrtha-snāna is presented as a potent purifier and merit-giver.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī waters and especially their confluence with the ocean (a sangam) in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avagāha (ritual immersion/bathing) in the Sarasvatī waters is implied as the recommended act for gaining puṇya.