Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

सर्वतीर्थमयी पूर्वं महीनाम महानदी । किं पुनर्यः समायोगस्तस्याश्च सरितां पतेः

Transliteration

sarvatīrthamayī pūrvaṃ mahīnāma mahānadī | kiṃ punaryaḥ samāyogastasyāśca saritāṃ pateḥ

Translation

‘മഹീ’ എന്ന മഹാനദി ആദ്യം മുതലേ സർവതീർത്ഥമയി; അപ്പോൾ നദികളുടെ അധിപൻ (സമുദ്രം) കൂടെയുള്ള അവളുടെ സംഗമം എത്ര മഹാപുണ്യകരം!

Word by Word

• सर्वतीर्थमयी: consisting of all sacred fords
• सर्वतीर्थमयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (मय-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: सर्वाणि तीर्थानि यस्यां सन्ति/यया मयः (consisting of all tīrthas)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-रूप)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/at first)

• महीनाम: Mahīnāma
• महीनाम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीनाम् (प्रातिपदिक: नदी-नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महानदी: great river
• महानदी: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: महती नदी (great river)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle: 'what?')

• पुनः: then again, moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Discourse adverb/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (again/further/moreover)

• यः: which (that)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• समायोगः: confluence, union
• समायोगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्+आ+युज् (धातु) → योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्याः: of her (of that river)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सरिताम्: of rivers
• सरिताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पतेः: of the lord (of rivers)
• पतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Saṃvarta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī-samudra-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A majestic confluence: the broad Mahī, shimmering with the essence of many tīrthas, merges into the ocean depicted as a regal 'river-lord'; subtle icons of famous tīrthas appear within the river’s waves.

Characters & Entities

• Mahī River
• Ocean (as saritāṃ pati, lord of rivers)
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When an already-holy river meets the ocean, the saṅgama becomes an especially powerful locus for merit and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama, praised as superior due to the union of sacred waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse is a doctrinal praise of saṅgama sanctity.