Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

हिमवंतं गिरिं प्राप्य प्लक्षात्तत्र विनिर्गता । अवतीर्णा धरापृष्ठे मत्स्यकच्छपसंकुला

Transliteration

himavaṃtaṃ giriṃ prāpya plakṣāttatra vinirgatā | avatīrṇā dharāpṛṣṭhe matsyakacchapasaṃkulā

Translation

ഹിമവന്തപർവതത്തെ പ്രാപിച്ച് അവൾ അവിടെ പ്ലക്ഷവൃക്ഷത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പുറപ്പെട്ടു. ഭൂമിയുടെ ഉപരിതലത്തിൽ അവതരിച്ച് മത്സ്യങ്ങളും കച്ചപങ്ങളും നിറഞ്ഞവളായി.

Word by Word

• हिमवन्तम्: Himavān (the Himalaya)
• हिमवन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative, 2nd), एकवचन

• गिरिम्: mountain
• गिरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; हिमवन्तम् इत्यस्य विशेष्य (apposition)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• प्लक्षात्: from the plakṣa tree/place called Plakṣa
• प्लक्षात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (ablative, 5th), एकवचन

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

• विनिर्गता: came out, emerged
• विनिर्गता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + निर् + गम् (धातु) → विनिर्गत (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अवतीर्णा: descended
• अवतीर्णा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + तॄ (धातु) → अवतीर्ण (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धरापृष्ठे: on the surface of the earth
• धरापृष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (pṛṣṭha), सप्तमी (locative, 7th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धरायाः पृष्ठम्)

• मत्स्यकच्छपसंकुला: crowded with fish and turtles
• मत्स्यकच्छपसंकुला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्स्य + कच्छप + संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (मत्स्यैः कच्छपैश्च संकुला)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine river-goddess emerges near Himavat from a plakṣa-tree, descending onto earth; waters shimmer with fish and tortoises in abundance.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Himavat (Himalaya)
• Plakṣa (tree)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are woven into cosmic geography—river origins are portrayed as divine descents that sanctify the earth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While the section is Prabhāsa-focused, the verse connects Sarasvatī’s sanctity to her Himalayan emergence, expanding the tīrtha-map.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive tīrtha-etiology (origin account).