Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

ततोपि हि श्रेष्ठतरं प्रयागमिति विश्रुतम् । प्रयागमाधवो यत्र सर्वयागफलप्रदः

Transliteration

tatopi hi śreṣṭhataraṃ prayāgamiti viśrutam | prayāgamādhavo yatra sarvayāgaphalapradaḥ

Translation

उससे भी श्रेष्ठ ‘प्रयाग’ नाम से विख्यात है; क्योंकि वहाँ प्रयाग-माधव विराजते हैं, जो समस्त यज्ञों के फल प्रदान करने वाले हैं।

Word by Word

• ततः: than that, from that
• ततः: Apadana/Comparison base (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत्; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (‘from that/than that’)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (also/even)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ निपात

• श्रेष्ठतरम्: better, superior
• श्रेष्ठतरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative: ‘better’)

• प्रयागम्: Prayāga
• प्रयागम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इति: thus, as
• इति: Sambandha/Quotation marker (इत्यर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• विश्रुतम्: is renowned
• विश्रुतम्: Vidheyam/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + √श्रु (श्रवणे) (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘well-known’

• प्रयागमाधवः: Prayāga-Mādhava (Viṣṇu at Prayāga)
• प्रयागमाधवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग-माधव (प्रातिपदिक; प्रयाग + माधव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘प्रयागस्य माधवः’ = Mādhava of Prayāga)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक देशवाचक (relative locative adverb: ‘where’)

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; ‘all’

• याग: sacrifice
• याग: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; ‘sacrifice’

• फल: fruit, result
• फल: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; ‘fruit/result’

• प्रदः: giver, bestower
• प्रदः: Vidheyam/Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-कर्तृवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु √दा (दाने) + क (प्रद = giver)

• सर्वयागफलप्रदः: bestower of the fruits of all sacrifices
• सर्वयागफलप्रदः: Vidheyam (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + याग + फल + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (समाहार/निर्देश: ‘सर्वेषां यागानां फलप्रदः’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (with Prayāga-Mādhava)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Wide confluence panorama: three-stream symbolism, pilgrims at the saṅgama, and a shrine/icon of Prayāga-Mādhava (Viṣṇu) bestowing radiant ‘yajña-phala’ light over the waters.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Prayāga-Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• Yāga (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas unify sectarian streams: even within Kāśī narratives, Viṣṇu at Prayāga is praised as granting comprehensive yajña-merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga, specifically through the presence of Prayāga-Mādhava.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific act is commanded in this verse; it states the phala (merit) associated with Prayāga-Mādhava—equivalent to all sacrifices.