Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

त्रिवेणी वहते तस्याः पुरतो भुक्तिमुक्तिदा । तस्यामुपरि दग्धानां ब्राह्मणानां विशेषतः

Transliteration

triveṇī vahate tasyāḥ purato bhuktimuktidā | tasyāmupari dagdhānāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

അവളുടെ മുമ്പിൽ ത്രിവേണി ഒഴുകുന്നു; അത് ഭോഗവും മോക്ഷവും രണ്ടും നൽകുന്നു; പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് അവളുടെ തീരത്ത് ദഹിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ട ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കായി (ഈ ഫലം പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു).

Word by Word

• त्रिवेणी: Triveṇī (threefold confluence)
• त्रिवेणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + वेणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular (name of the confluence)

• वहते: flows
• वहते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — ‘flows’

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

• पुरतः: in front (of)
• पुरतः: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/उपपद) — indeclinable adverb/postposition ‘in front of’

• भुक्ति-मुक्ति-दा: granting enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्ति-मुक्ति-दा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘भुक्तिं च मुक्तिं च ददाति’ — feminine nominative singular

• तस्याम्: in her/in that (place)
• तस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — feminine locative singular (‘in her/therein’)

• उपरि: upon/above
• उपरि: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्गार्थक/देशवाचक) — indeclinable ‘above/upon’

• दग्धानाम्: of those who are cremated
• दग्धानाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त — masculine genitive plural (‘of the burnt/cremated’)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — masculine genitive plural

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb ‘especially’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triveṇī (Prayāga Saṅgama)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Foreground: Triveṇī waters with pilgrims bathing and offering libations; midground: a cremation rite on the riverbank with priests chanting; background: confluence horizon with subtle third-current symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Triveṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred confluence (Triveṇī) is praised as granting both prosperity and liberation, highlighting the puranic sanctity of tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Triveṇī—the holy confluence—described as flowing before the revered spot in this chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse points to the special merit connected with cremation (antyeṣṭi) performed on/near the banks of the Triveṇī.