Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

शतभद्रा महाभागा सिन्धुश्चैव महा नदी । ऐरावती च कपिला शोणश्चैव महानदः

Transliteration

śatabhadrā mahābhāgā sindhuścaiva mahā nadī | airāvatī ca kapilā śoṇaścaiva mahānadaḥ

Translation

മഹാഭാഗ്യയായ ശതഭദ്രയും, മഹാനദിയായ സിന്ധുവും; അതുപോലെ ഐരാവതീ, കപിലാ, മഹാനദിയായ ശോണമും (പ്രസിദ്ധ പുണ്യനദികൾ).

Word by Word

• शतभद्रा: Śatabhadrā (river)
• शतभद्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतभद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• महाभागा: very fortunate; illustrious
• महाभागा: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: महा + भागा; विशेषणम् (qualifies शतभद्रा)

• सिन्धुः: Sindhu (river)
• सिन्धुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• महा: great
• महा: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies नदी)

• नदी: river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सामान्य-विशेष्य (river)

• ऐरावती: Airāvatī (river)
• ऐरावती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

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

• कपिला: Kapilā (river)
• कपिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• शोणः: Śoṇa (river)
• शोणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• महानदः: the great river
• महानदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + नद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: महान् नदः; ‘शोणः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण-रूपेण (apposition)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from immediate context; dialogue with Pārvatī begins shortly after)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śatabhadrā; Sindhu; Airāvatī; Kapilā; Śoṇa

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A garland of five rivers personified as goddesses, each with distinct landscape cues: Himalayan-fed Śatabhadrā, broad Sindhu, a lush Airāvatī, a forested Kapilā, and the rocky-banked Śoṇa; pilgrims offer lamps and water-libations.

Characters & Entities

• Śatabhadrā
• Sindhu
• Airāvatī
• Kapilā
• Śoṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering and honoring sacred rivers is portrayed as part of tīrtha-reverence that supports purification and dharmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, situating many famous rivers and tīrthas under the umbrella of Prabhāsa’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it is a reverential enumeration of sacred rivers.