Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

नदीसहस्रसंयुक्ता मध्याह्ने तु सरस्वती । अपराह्णे वहेद्रेवा सायाह्ने सूर्यपुत्रिका

Transliteration

nadīsahasrasaṃyuktā madhyāhne tu sarasvatī | aparāhṇe vahedrevā sāyāhne sūryaputrikā

Translation

À midi, elle est Sarasvatī, unie à mille rivières ; l’après-midi, elle coule comme Revā ; et vers le soir tard, elle devient Sūryaputrikā.

Word by Word

• नदीसहस्रसंयुक्ता: joined with a thousand rivers
• नदीसहस्रसंयुक्ता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नदी + सहस्र + संयुक्त (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; समासः तत्पुरुष (नदीसहस्रेण संयुक्ता/नदीसहस्रैः संयुक्ता इति भावः)

• मध्याह्ने: at midday
• मध्याह्ने: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvati
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अपराह्णे: in the afternoon
• अपराह्णे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराह्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वहेत्: should flow
• वहेत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person, Singular

• रेवा: Reva (Narmada)
• रेवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सायाह्ने: at evening time
• सायाह्ने: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायाह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सूर्यपुत्रिका: the daughter of the Sun (river)
• सूर्यपुत्रिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + पुत्रिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सूर्यस्य पुत्रिका)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the assembled Ṛṣis (contextual attribution within Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṣitoyā (Mahodaya)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single river depicted in three temporal panels: blazing noon with Sarasvatī and a retinue of many river-goddesses; warm afternoon with Revā/Narmadā’s reddish-golden aura; deepening twilight with Sūryaputrikā/Yamunā’s blue-green calm; pilgrims move along the ghāṭa through the day.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Sūryaputrikā
• Ṛṣitoyā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is celebrated as a convergence of many holy rivers, offering manifold merits through a single sacred location.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ṛṣitoyā/Mahodaya Mahātīrtha in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, said to assume the sanctity of Sarasvatī, Revā, and others by time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied guidance for snāna by time of day, aligning one’s bath with particular river-identifications and their merits.