Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

आदिनारायणाद्देवि पश्चिमे धनुषां त्रये । संस्थिता सा महादेवी सरिद्रूपा महानदी

Transliteration

ādinārāyaṇāddevi paścime dhanuṣāṃ traye | saṃsthitā sā mahādevī saridrūpā mahānadī

Translation

Ô Déesse, à trois longueurs d’arc à l’ouest d’Ādinārāyaṇa se tient cette Grande Déesse — le grand fleuve, prenant la forme d’un ruisseau sacré.

Word by Word

• आदिनारायणात्: from Ādi-Nārāyaṇa
• आदिनारायणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक); आदि-नारायण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासार्थ (आदिः नारायणः = the primeval Nārāyaṇa)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; दिशावाचक

• धनुषाम्: of bows (a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• त्रये: at (a distance of) three
• त्रये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• संस्थिता: situated
• संस्थिता: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• महादेवी: the great goddess
• महादेवी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देवी (प्रातिपदिक); महा-देवी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (great goddess)

• सरिद्रूपा: river-formed
• सरिद्रूपा: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरित् + रूप (प्रातिपदिक); सरित्-रूप
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (सरित्-रूपा = having the form of a river)

• महानदी: great river
• महानदी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + नदी (प्रातिपदिक); महा-नदी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃnihitā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva points out the Saṃnihitā: three bow-lengths west of Ādinārāyaṇa, the Great Goddess present as a river/stream—small in form yet vast in sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Ādinārāyaṇa
• Devī
• Saṃnihitā (river)
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text anchors holiness in precise sacred geography, presenting the river as a goddess whose presence is locatable and approachable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Saṃnihitā tīrtha in Prabhāsakṣetra, positioned west of the Ādinārāyaṇa shrine/seat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; the verse provides pilgrimage guidance by identifying the tīrtha’s location.