Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अथ विष्णुपदीं देवीं श्रुत्वा सागरसंगताम् । इतस्ततः समाजग्मुः श्रद्दधानाः पयस्विनीम्

Transliteration

atha viṣṇupadīṃ devīṃ śrutvā sāgarasaṃgatām | itastataḥ samājagmuḥ śraddadhānāḥ payasvinīm

Translation

પછી વિષ્ણુપદી દેવી (ગંગા) સાગર સાથે સંગમ પામી છે એમ સાંભળી, શ્રદ્ધાળુ લોકો ચારે તરફથી તે જલસમૃદ્ધ નદી પાસે એકત્ર થયા.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/आरम्भार्थक (indeclinable particle; then/now)

• विष्णुपदीम्: Viṣṇupadī (the sacred river/stream named so)
• विष्णुपदीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णुपदी (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु-पदी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (viṣṇoḥ padī = ‘of Viṣṇu’s footprint/step’)

• देवीम्: the goddess (divine one)
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य (apposition to विष्णुपदीम्)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकाल (having heard)

• सागर-संगताम्: joined with the ocean
• सागर-संगताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + संगता (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √गम् + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to विष्णुपदीम्/देवीम्); समासः तत्पुरुषः (सागरेण संगता/सागरं संगता = ‘joined with the ocean’)

• इतस्: from here
• इतस्: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक (ablatival adverb: from here/this side)

• ततः: from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक (from there/thence)

• समाजग्मुः: they came together / assembled
• समाजग्मुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रद्दधानाः: faithful / believing
• श्रद्दधानाः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद् + धा (धातु) → श्रद्धधान (कृदन्त; शतृ/शानच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle, Ātmanepada sense); विशेषण (to implied जनाः)

• पयस्विनीम्: the river Payasvinī
• पयस्विनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य (object of motion/approach)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā Māhātmya; not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī–Sāgara-saṅgama (contextual)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From all directions, devotees—men and women, ascetics and householders—converge toward a broad, water-rich river flowing into the sea; banners, waterpots, and offerings in hand.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇupadī (Gaṅgā)
• Ocean (Sāgara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith (śraddhā) moves people toward tīrthas; hearing of a sacred confluence inspires pilgrimage and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred meeting of the Gaṅgā (Viṣṇupadī) with the ocean is glorified within the Dvārakā Māhātmya’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the context implies tīrtha-visit and snāna at the river/confluence as meritorious.