Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । गंगा च नर्मदा तापी यमुना च सरस्वती । गंडकी गोमती पूर्णा एता नद्यः सुपावनाः

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | gaṃgā ca narmadā tāpī yamunā ca sarasvatī | gaṃḍakī gomatī pūrṇā etā nadyaḥ supāvanāḥ

Translation

Vasiṣṭha bersabda: Gaṅgā, Narmadā, Tāpī, Yamunā dan Sarasvatī; juga Gaṇḍakī, Gomatī serta Pūrṇā—semua sungai ini amat suci dan sangat menyucikan.

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तापी: Tāpī
• तापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

• यमुना: Yamunā
• यमुना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

• गण्डकी: Gaṇḍakī
• गण्डकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण्डकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

• गोमती: Gomatī
• गोमती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूर्णा: Pūrṇā (river)
• पूर्णा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नद्यः: rivers
• नद्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सुपावनाः: very purifying
• सुपावनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sacred Rivers (Nadī-tīrthas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha enumerates sacred rivers; visual can show a map-like sacred landscape with personified river goddesses flowing from mountains to plains, each with distinctive emblems.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Gaṅgā
• Narmadā
• Tāpī
• Yamunā
• Sarasvatī
• Gaṇḍakī
• Gomatī
• Pūrṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rivers function as living tīrthas—accessible channels of purification and merit for pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Multiple river-tīrthas are named; the discourse then elevates particular rivers (notably Narmadā and Gaṅgā) in subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated here; the verse establishes the rivers’ purificatory status foundational to snāna, darśana, and offerings.