Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

मा गंगां व्रज कौंतेय मा प्रयागं च पुष्करम् । तत्र गच्छ कुरुश्रेष्ठ यत्र प्राची सरस्वती

Transliteration

mā gaṃgāṃ vraja kauṃteya mā prayāgaṃ ca puṣkaram | tatra gaccha kuruśreṣṭha yatra prācī sarasvatī

Translation

ഹേ കൗന്തേയ, ഗംഗയിലേക്കു പോകരുത്; പ്രയാഗത്തേക്കും പുഷ്കരത്തേക്കും പോകരുത്. ഹേ കുരുശ്രേഷ്ഠ, പ്രാചീ സരസ്വതി ഉള്ളിടത്തേക്കു പോകുക.

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेधार्थक) — prohibitive particle used with imperative

• गङ्गाम्: to the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• व्रज: go
• व्रज: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kuntī
• कौन्तेय: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्ती + एय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; patronymic ‘son of Kuntī’

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेधार्थक) — prohibitive particle

• प्रयागम्: to Prayāga
• प्रयागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• पुष्करम्: to Puṣkara
• पुष्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (place-name)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — adverb of place

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Kurus
• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘कुरूणां श्रेष्ठः’ (best among the Kurus)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/स्थानवाचक; यद्-प्रत्यय) — relative adverb ‘where’

• प्राची: eastern
• प्राची: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; adjective qualifying सरस्वती

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī (river/goddess)
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Viṣṇu (quoted gāthā, addressed to Dharmaputra/Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prācī Sarasvatī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira; addressed as Kaunteya, Kuruśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu instructs Yudhiṣṭhira: a map-like sacred geography implied—Gaṅgā, Prayāga, Puṣkara shown as distant icons, while Prācī Sarasvatī glows as the chosen destination; Yudhiṣṭhira turns toward the west (Prabhāsa).

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kaunteya (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Gaṅgā
• Prayāga
• Puṣkara
• Prācī Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In sacred geography, certain tīrthas are uniquely efficacious; the text directs the seeker to the most spiritually potent site for that context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prācī Sarasvatī in the Prabhāsa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction is given: go to Prācī Sarasvatī rather than other famous tīrthas.