Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

समुद्रगामिनी देवि सा गंगा पापनाशिनी । उत्तानेति भुवि ख्याता नदी त्रैलोक्यभूषणा

Transliteration

samudragāminī devi sā gaṃgā pāpanāśinī | uttāneti bhuvi khyātā nadī trailokyabhūṣaṇā

Translation

ਹੇ ਦੇਵੀ, ਉਹ ਗੰਗਾ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਵੱਲ ਵਹਿੰਦੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਪਾਪਾਂ ਦਾ ਨਾਸ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਹੈ। ਧਰਤੀ ਉੱਤੇ ਉਹ ‘ਉੱਤਾਨਾ’ ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਹੈ—ਤਿੰਨਾਂ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ੋਭਾ ਬਣਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਨਦੀ।

Word by Word

• समुद्रगामिनी: going to the ocean
• समुद्रगामिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गामिनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम् (धातु) + णिनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त), ‘समुद्रं गच्छति’ इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गंगा: Ganga
• गंगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पापनाशिनी: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशिनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √नश्/√नाश् (धातु) + णिनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त), ‘पापं नाशयति’ इति

• उत्ताना: Uttānā (name)
• उत्ताना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्ताना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नामरूपेण

• इति: thus/so called
• इति: Sambandha/Quotation marker (सम्बन्ध/उद्धरणचिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यर्थे (quotative particle)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• ख्याता: renowned/known
• ख्याता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे, ‘प्रसिद्धा’

• नदी: river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्यभूषणा: ornament of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यभूषणा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + लोक) + भूषणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः ‘त्रैलोक्यस्य भूषणा’

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Uttānā (Gaṅgā at Gaṅgāpatha)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous river (Uttānā) flows toward the sea; Gaṅgā is implied as present within it; pilgrims stand at the bank with folded hands; the ocean glimmers in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Gaṅgā
• Uttānā
• Ocean
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy rivers are portrayed as active agents of purification, extending divine grace through their flow and presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā at Gaṅgāpatha, locally famed as the river ‘Uttānā,’ within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly supports snāna (ritual bathing) by praising the river as pāpanāśinī; explicit instruction appears in the next verse.