Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

एवमभ्यर्थितो राज्ञा गर्गो ब्राह्मणपुंगवः । तौ निनाय महापुण्यं कालिंद्यास्तटमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

evamabhyarthito rājñā gargo brāhmaṇapuṃgavaḥ | tau nināya mahāpuṇyaṃ kāliṃdyāstaṭamuttamam

Translation

राजाने अशी विनंती केल्यावर ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ गर्गमुनींनी त्या दांपत्याला कालिंदी (यमुना) नदीच्या अत्यंत पुण्यदायी उत्तम तीरावर नेले।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• अभ्यर्थितः: requested/entreated
• अभ्यर्थितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-अर्थ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (गर्गः)

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• गर्गः: Garga
• गर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणपुङ्गवः: the foremost of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणपुङ्गवः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + पुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्राह्मणानां पुङ्गवः)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• निनाय: led (took)
• निनाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महापुण्यम्: very holy
• महापुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (तटम्)

• कालिन्द्याः: of the Kāliṇdī (Yamunā)
• कालिन्द्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तटम्: bank/shore
• तटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent/best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (तटम्)

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāliṅdī-taṭa (Yamunā bank; specific tīrtha unnamed)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garga leads the royal couple along a path to the bright riverbank of the Yamunā; the water glints, sacred trees line the shore, and the spot feels ‘mahāpuṇya’; the couple prepares for rites.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Garga
• King
• Queen
• Kāliṅdī (Yamunā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right spiritual practice is grounded in both right guidance (guru) and right place (a puṇya tīrtha).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

An excellent, highly meritorious tīrtha on the bank of the Kāliṅdī (Yamunā) is indicated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse prepares for tīrtha-based observances (such as snāna and initiation) by relocating to a sacred riverbank.