Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

गङ्गोवाच । त्वत्पादकमलाद्भ्रष्टा गङ्गा सहचरा विभो । यदृच्छया त्रिलोकेश वन्द्यमाना दिवौकसैः

Transliteration

gaṅgovāca | tvatpādakamalādbhraṣṭā gaṅgā sahacarā vibho | yadṛcchayā trilokeśa vandyamānā divaukasaiḥ

Translation

ഗംഗ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വിഭോ! ഞാൻ ഗംഗ, നിന്റെ സഹചാരി; നിന്റെ പാദപദ്മത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വഴുതി വീണു ഇവിടെ എത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നു. ഹേ ത്രിലോകേശ! ദേവലോകവാസികൾ വന്ദിക്കുന്നവളായി, യദൃച്ഛയായി (ഇവിടെ) നിലകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्वत्-पाद-कमलात्: from your lotus-feet
• त्वत्-पाद-कमलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत् (सर्वनाम) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + कमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (कमल), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; ‘त्वत्पादकमल’ = तव पादस्य कमलम्

• भ्रष्टा: fallen down
• भ्रष्टा: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रष्ट (कृदन्त; भ्रंश्/भ्रश्-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (गङ्गा)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहचरा: companion
• सहचरा: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (गङ्गा)

• विभो: O Lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• यदृच्छया: by chance
• यदृच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (by chance)

• त्रिलोकेश: O Lord of the three worlds
• त्रिलोकेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘त्रिलोकेश’ = त्रिलोकस्य ईशः

• वन्द्यमाना: being worshipped
• वन्द्यमाना: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्द् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Passive present participle; शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (गङ्गा)

• दिवौकसैः: by the gods (heaven-dwellers)
• दिवौकसैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवौकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Gaṅgā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā-devī speaks with folded hands, identifying herself as fallen/flowing from Viṣṇu’s lotus-feet, surrounded by subtle celestial witnesses (devas).

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Trilokeśa (Viṣṇu)
• Devas (divaukas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rivers are not merely physical waters; they are divine in origin and worthy of reverence across the three worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse reinforces the sanctity of Gaṅgā within the broader tirtha-mahātmya narrative of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on Gaṅgā’s divine provenance and worship-worthiness.