Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 166

Devanagari script

धनदश्च ध्रुवादीनां सप्तकानर्चयंत्यमी । नदीनां संगमस्तत्र वैकुंठसमुपह्वरे

Transliteration

dhanadaśca dhruvādīnāṃ saptakānarcayaṃtyamī | nadīnāṃ saṃgamastatra vaikuṃṭhasamupahvare

Translation

ധനദൻ (കുബേരൻ)യും ധ്രുവാദി ഏഴ് സംഘങ്ങളെ ആരാധിക്കുന്നു. അവിടെ വൈകുണ്ഠസമീപമുള്ള ഉന്നത പുണ്യപ്രദേശത്ത് നദികളുടെ സംഗമമുണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• dhanadaḥ: Kubera (giver of wealth)
• dhanadaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• dhruva-ādīnām: of Dhruva and others
• dhruva-ādīnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘ध्रुव-आदि’ = ध्रुवः आदिः येषाम् (of Dhruva and others)

• saptakān: the groups of seven (septads)
• saptakān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saptaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• arcayanti: they worship
• arcayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• amī: these (those here)
• amī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• nadīnām: of rivers
• nadīnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• saṃgamaḥ: confluence
• saṃgamaḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• vaikuṃṭha-samupahvare: in the region near Vaikuṇṭha
• vaikuṃṭha-samupahvare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaikuṃṭha + samupahvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘वैकुण्ठस्य समुपह्वरः’ (in the vicinity/valley near Vaikuṇṭha)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaikuṇṭha-samupahvara-sangama (as described)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A high, luminous ravine-like precinct ‘near Vaikuṇṭha’ where two or more rivers meet; Kubera (Dhanada) and celestial worshippers offer flowers and lamps to a sevenfold set of radiant presences, with the sangama shimmering below.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanada (Kubera)
• Dhruva
• Vaikuṇṭha
• Nadī-saṅgama (river confluence)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings honor the sevenfold sacred order, and the river-confluence is portrayed as a near-heavenly (Vaikuṇṭha-like) locus of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A river confluence described as being near a “Vaikuṇṭha” elevated precinct; the exact modern identification is not given in this verse alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship/honoring) of the ‘saptaka’ groups is indicated, implying reverential rites at/for the tīrtha.