Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कावेरीप्रमुखाः पुण्या अन्यैश्चैवाघनाशिनीः । स्वतीर्थसहिता भक्त्या नवनवतिकोटिभिः

Transliteration

kāverīpramukhāḥ puṇyā anyaiścaivāghanāśinīḥ | svatīrthasahitā bhaktyā navanavatikoṭibhiḥ

Translation

കാവേരി-പ്രമുഖമായ പുണ്യ നദികളും മറ്റു അഘനാശിനി പ്രവാഹങ്ങളും—സ്വസ്വ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളോടുകൂടെ, ഭക്തിയോടെ തൊണ്ണൂറ്റൊമ്പത് കോടി എണ്ണത്തിൽ എത്തി.

Word by Word

• कावेरीप्रमुखाः: having Kāverī as the foremost (i.e., headed by Kāverī)
• कावेरीप्रमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कावेरी + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कावेरी-प्रमुखाः = कावेरी प्रमुखा येषां ते/कावेरी-आदयो प्रमुखाः)

• पुण्याः: holy, meritorious
• पुण्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• अन्यैः: with others
• अन्यैः: Sahakari/Karana (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (particle of emphasis)

• अघनाशिनीः: destroyers of sin
• अघनाशिनीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अघस्य नाशिनी)

• स्वतीर्थसहिता: accompanied by their own sacred fords
• स्वतीर्थसहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + तीर्थ + सहित (प्रातिपदिक; 'सहित' क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/सह-समासभावः (स्वतीर्थैः सहिता = accompanied by their own tīrthas)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• नवनवतिकोटिभिः: with ninety-nine crores (of [tīrthas])
• नवनवतिकोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव + नवति + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (नवनवतिः कोटयः = ninety-nine crores)

Speaker

Śrī Prahlāda (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (receiving Kāverī-pramukhā nadyaḥ)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāverī as a regal river-queen leading a vast entourage of minor tīrtha-deities—each carrying a small shrine or water-vessel—approaching Dvārakā in a devotional procession; the multitude suggests near-infinite sacred points.

Characters & Entities

• Kāverī
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is not merely geographic but devotional: even tīrthas are portrayed as arriving “with bhakti,” underscoring devotion as the heart of pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, the implied destination that draws the Kāverī-led hosts of tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhakti (devotional orientation) is emphasized; no specific act like snāna or dāna is explicitly stated.