Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

पुण्यं सारस्वतं तोयं यत्र तत्रावगाह्यते । सागरेण तु संमिश्रं देवानामपि दुर्लभम्

Transliteration

puṇyaṃ sārasvataṃ toyaṃ yatra tatrāvagāhyate | sāgareṇa tu saṃmiśraṃ devānāmapi durlabham

Translation

Air suci Sarasvatī itu membawa pahala di mana sahaja seseorang berendam di dalamnya. Apabila bercampur dengan lautan, pertemuan itu amat jarang, bahkan para dewa pun sukar memperolehnya.

Word by Word

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; 'तोयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सारस्वतम्: of Sarasvatī
• सारस्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'तोयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

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

• अवगाह्यते: is entered/bathed in
• अवगाह्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गाह् (धातु) + अव (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is bathed in / one bathes)

• सागरेण: with the ocean
• सागरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• संमिश्रम्: mixed together
• संमिश्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'तोयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; even/also)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'तोयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī–Sāgara Saṅgama (Prabhāsa)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous confluence: a clear river labeled Sarasvatī merges into the vast ocean; pilgrims bathe at the meeting point while celestial beings watch, underscoring ‘rare even for gods’.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters sanctify through contact and immersion; tīrtha-snāna is presented as a potent purifier and merit-giver.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī waters and especially their confluence with the ocean (a sangam) in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avagāha (ritual immersion/bathing) in the Sarasvatī waters is implied as the recommended act for gaining puṇya.