Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मपुत्रैः समानीताः पंचैताः सरितां वराः । गृह्णंत्वर्घ्यमिमं देव्यः सर्वपापप्रशांतये

Transliteration

brahmaputraiḥ samānītāḥ paṃcaitāḥ saritāṃ varāḥ | gṛhṇaṃtvarghyamimaṃ devyaḥ sarvapāpapraśāṃtaye

Translation

બ્રહ્મપુત્રો દ્વારા અહીં લાવવામાં આવેલી નદીઓમાં શ્રેષ્ઠ એવી આ પાંચ દેવીઓ—હે દેવીઓ, સર્વ પાપશાંતિ માટે આ અર્ઘ્ય સ્વીકારો.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मपुत्रैः: by the sons of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मपुत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) = ब्रह्मन् + पुत्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन; instrumental plural (by/with the sons of Brahmā)

• समानीताः: brought (together)
• समानीताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; past passive participle ‘brought/led together’

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; indeclinable numeral used adjectivally

• एताः: these
• एताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun ‘these’

• सरिताम्: of rivers
• सरिताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; genitive plural ‘of rivers’

• वराः: excellent (ones)
• वराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; adjective ‘excellent/best’ (agreeing with implied ‘सरितः’)

• गृह्णन्तु: let (them) accept
• गृह्णन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; imperative ‘let them take/accept’

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya offering
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular ‘arghya-offering’

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative ‘this’ (agreeing with अर्घ्यम्)

• देव्यः: O goddesses
• देव्यः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; nominative plural ‘goddesses/divine ladies’ (addressed)

• सर्वपापप्रशान्तये: for the appeasement of all sins
• सर्वपापप्रशान्तये: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वपापप्रशान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) = सर्व + पाप + प्रशान्ति
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; dative singular ‘for the pacification of all sins’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti), quoting the arghya-mantra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada (Pañcanadī)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Five radiant river-goddesses stand or rise from five streams, receiving arghya from a pilgrim; behind them, austere Brahmā-putras appear as the mythic agents who ‘brought’ the rivers.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaputrāḥ
• Five rivers (Pañca-saritaḥ)
• Devyaḥ (river goddesses)
• Arghya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence to sacred rivers as goddesses, combined with mantra and offering, is taught as a means to quiet the burden of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pañcanada Tīrtha, centered on five deified rivers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite this arghya-mantra and offer arghya to the five river goddesses for sin-pacification.