Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

देवैः सर्वैः समाहूता स्नानार्थं सा सरिद्वरा । देविकेति समाख्याता तेन सा पापनाशिनी

Transliteration

devaiḥ sarvaiḥ samāhūtā snānārthaṃ sā saridvarā | deviketi samākhyātā tena sā pāpanāśinī

Translation

Appelée par tous les dieux pour le bain sacré, cette rivière d’excellence fut nommée « Devikā » ; ainsi est-elle celle qui détruit les péchés.

Word by Word

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषण (देवैः)

• समाहूता: summoned
• समाहूता: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-ह्वा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘having been called/summoned’

• स्नान-अर्थम्: for bathing
• स्नान-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (स्नानाय अर्थः = for bathing)

• सा: she/that (river)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सरित्-वरा: the excellent river
• सरित्-वरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठा सरित्)

• देविका: Devikā
• देविका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देविका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश (quotative particle)

• समाख्याता: was called
• समाख्याता: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘was named/called’

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पाप-नाशिनी: destroyer of sins
• पाप-नाशिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पापं नाशयति इति)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devikā

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Śaunaka-led assembly (typical frame; not stated here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous river-goddess Devikā manifests as devas assemble on her banks with kumbhas for bathing; the river glows with sanctity, washing away dark ‘pāpa’ as mist dissolves.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Devikā river
• Snāna (ritual bathing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is affirmed by divine usage: what the gods choose for snāna becomes a powerful purifier for all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Devikā river at Prabhāsakṣetra, praised explicitly as pāpanāśinī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in the Devikā river is implied as a sin-destroying practice.