Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा प्रकृष्टयागेभ्यः पुष्टेभ्यो दक्षिणादिभिः । प्रयागमिति तन्नाम कृतं हरिहरादिभिः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā prakṛṣṭayāgebhyaḥ puṣṭebhyo dakṣiṇādibhiḥ | prayāgamiti tannāma kṛtaṃ hariharādibhiḥ

Translation

ದಕ್ಷಿಣಾದಿಗಳಿಂದ ಸಮೃದ್ಧವಾದ ಅತ್ಯುತ್ತಮ ಯಾಗಗಳಿಗಿಂತಲೂ ಇದು ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠವೆಂದು ಕಂಡು, ಹರಿ-ಹರಾದಿಗಳು ಇದರ ಹೆಸರನ್ನು ‘ಪ್ರಯಾಗ’ ಎಂದು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಿದರು.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• प्रकृष्टयागेभ्यः: from excellent sacrifices
• प्रकृष्टयागेभ्यः: Apadana (Comparison/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृष्ट-याग (प्रातिपदिक; प्रकृष्ट + याग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (प्रकृष्टाः यागाः)

• पुष्टेभ्यः: well-endowed, strengthened
• पुष्टेभ्यः: Apadana (Qualifier/अपादान-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यागेभ्यः)

• दक्षिणादिभिः: by gifts (dakṣiṇā) and the like
• दक्षिणादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; दक्षिणा + आदि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (दक्षिणा) + आदि-समास, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करणम्; ‘आदि’ अन्तः (and the like)

• प्रयागम्: Prayāga
• प्रयागम्: Karma (Name-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; नामरूपेण (as a name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नाम)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कृतम्: was made, was given
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (was made)

• हरिहरादिभिः: by Hari, Hara, and others
• हरिहरादिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि-हर-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; हरि + हर + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (हरिश्च हरश्च) + आदि-समाहार (and others); करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari (Vishnu) and Hara (Shiva) stand on the riverbank, gesturing toward the confluence; sages and devas witness as the place is ceremonially ‘named’ Prayāga; yajña altars appear in the background, humbled by the tīrtha’s radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Hari
• Hara
• Yajña
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of Prayāga is affirmed as surpassing even elaborate yajñas, with divine endorsement from both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga is explicitly named and celebrated as surpassing great sacrifices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dakṣiṇā (ritual gifting) is referenced as part of high yajñas; the verse implies that Prayāga’s tīrtha-merit exceeds even such well-performed rituals.