Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23
पृथ्वी सागरपर्यंता दृष्टा सर्वा तदानघ । महीनाम नदी पुण्या सर्वतीर्थमयी शुभा
pṛthvī sāgaraparyaṃtā dṛṣṭā sarvā tadānagha | mahīnāma nadī puṇyā sarvatīrthamayī śubhā
ឱ អ្នកឥតបាប! ខ្ញុំបានឃើញផែនដីទាំងមូលរហូតដល់ច្រាំងសមុទ្រ។ មានទន្លេបរិសុទ្ធមួយឈ្មោះ «មហី» ដែលជាមង្គល បរិសុទ្ធ និងមានអំណាចនៃទីរថៈទាំងអស់ស្ថិតនៅក្នុងខ្លួននាង។
Bhṛgu (contextual, continuing narration to Nārada)
Tirtha: Mahī-nadī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Nārada
Scene: Bhṛgu describes the earth surveyed to the ocean’s rim, then points to the Mahī as a luminous ribbon of water, surrounded by tīrtha-symbols (miniature shrines, sages, and devas) suggesting ‘all tīrthas within’.
FAQs
Certain sacred rivers are portrayed as concentrated sanctuaries—approaching them is akin to visiting many tīrthas at once.
Mahī-nadī is praised as sarvatīrthamayī (embodying all tīrthas).
No explicit rite here; it establishes the river’s exceptional sanctity, implying pilgrimage and bathing will be meritorious.