Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 148

Devanagari script

गंगाजलप्रवाहैश्च संयुक्तं यामुनैस्तथा । स्थितं सारस्वतं तोयं तत्र गर्तेषु तत्त्रयम्

Transliteration

gaṃgājalapravāhaiśca saṃyuktaṃ yāmunaistathā | sthitaṃ sārasvataṃ toyaṃ tatra garteṣu tattrayam

Translation

Là, l’eau de Sarasvatī demeura, jointe aux courants ruisselants de l’eau du Gaṅgā et, de même, à ceux de la Yamunā. Dans les creux de ce lieu, cette triade d’eaux sacrées se tint réunie.

Word by Word

• गङ्गाजलप्रवाहैः: with the streams of Gaṅgā-water
• गङ्गाजलप्रवाहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + जल + प्रवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (flows of Gaṅgā-water); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

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

• संयुक्तम्: joined, connected
• संयुक्तम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-युज् (धातु √युज्) + त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (context: predicate of toyaṃ)

• यामुनैः: with (the waters/streams) of Yamunā
• यामुनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यामुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• स्थितम्: present, situated
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु √स्था) + त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (context: predicate of toyaṃ)

• सारस्वतम्: Sarasvatī-related
• सारस्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (toyaṃ-विशेषण)

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

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

• गर्तेषु: in the pits/holes
• गर्तेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (त्रयम्-विशेषण)

• त्रयम्: the triad, the three (together)
• त्रयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (collective: threefold set)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triveṇī-garta / Sarasvatī-Gaṅgā-Yamunā-saṅgama (localized within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred depression in the earth filled with clear water; three distinct luminous currents—white (Gaṅgā), dark-blue (Yamunā), and subtle golden/transparent (Sarasvatī)—interweave while pilgrims perform snāna and offer flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse celebrates concentrated sanctity: multiple river-deities’ powers are believed to co-reside, making the site exceptionally purifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revatī/Vastrāpathakṣetra locale in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, described as holding a tri-river confluence in localized hollows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied suitability for snāna and ritual use of tīrtha water due to the presence of the three sacred waters together.