Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

इमं मे गंगे यमुने पंचनद्यः सुपुष्करे । श्रीसूक्तसहितं विष्णोः पावमानं वृषाकपिम्

Transliteration

imaṃ me gaṃge yamune paṃcanadyaḥ supuṣkare | śrīsūktasahitaṃ viṣṇoḥ pāvamānaṃ vṛṣākapim

Translation

“ଇମଂ ମେ”—ହେ ଗଙ୍ଗେ, ହେ ଯମୁନେ, ହେ ପଞ୍ଚନଦ୍ୟଃ, ହେ ସୁପୁଷ୍କରେ—ଏହାକୁ ଶ୍ରୀସୂକ୍ତ ସହିତ ପାଠ କରିବା; ତଥା ବିଷ୍ଣୁଙ୍କ ପାବମାନ ସ୍ତୋତ୍ରମାନ ଓ ବୃଷାକପି ସୂକ୍ତକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ପାଠ କରିବା।

Word by Word

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (masculine, accusative singular; demonstrative)

• मे: my / to me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6/4), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive/dative singular: 'of me/to me')

• गङ्गे: O Ganga
• गङ्गे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन (feminine, vocative singular)

• यमुने: O Yamuna
• यमुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन (feminine, vocative singular)

• पञ्चनद्यः: O five rivers
• पञ्चनद्यः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), बहुवचन (feminine, vocative plural; dvigu compound)

• सुपुष्करे: O Supuṣkara
• सुपुष्करे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुपुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन (neuter, vocative singular; proper/place name)

• श्रीसूक्त-सहितम्: together with the Śrīsūkta
• श्रीसूक्त-सहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीसूक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + सहित (प्रातिपदिक; √सह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण (neuter accusative singular; 'accompanied with the Śrīsūkta')

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (masculine, genitive singular)

• पावमानम्: the Pāvamāna (purifying hymn)
• पावमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावमान (प्रातिपदिक; √पू 'to purify'—नामधातु/विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular; name/epithet)

• वृषाकपिम्: Vṛṣākapi (hymn/epithet)
• वृषाकपिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषाकपि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular; name of a hymn/deity epithet)

Speaker

Deductively: a Purāṇic narrator/instructor addressing a king (mantra list for snāna/śānti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā–Yamunā–Pañcanadyaḥ–(Su)Puṣkara (invoked collectively)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual bathing scene where the water pot is imagined as containing Gaṅgā and Yamunā; behind, personified river goddesses appear, along with a lotus-bearing Śrī motif; priests chant Vedic hymns as water streams over the yajamāna.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Pañcanadī (five rivers)
• Supuṣkara
• Śrī Sūkta
• Viṣṇu
• Pāvamāna
• Vṛṣākapi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is strengthened by invoking sacred rivers and venerable hymns, uniting tīrtha-power with mantra-power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Supuṣkara (a sacred Puṣkara tīrtha) is explicitly invoked, alongside Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and the five rivers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of specific purifying mantras/hymns—‘Imaṃ me…’, Śrī Sūkta, Viṣṇu’s Pāvamāna, and Vṛṣākapi—during the rite (notably in the bathing/purification sequence).