Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

श्रुतिभिः परिपठ्येते सिताऽसित सरिद्वरे । तत्राप्लुतां गाह्यमृतं भवंतीति विनिश्चितम्

Transliteration

śrutibhiḥ paripaṭhyete sitā'sita saridvare | tatrāplutāṃ gāhyamṛtaṃ bhavaṃtīti viniścitam

Translation

คัมภีร์ศรุติเองสรรเสริญสายน้ำอันประเสริฐว่า ‘สีตา’ คือขาว และ ‘อสีตา’ คือดำ เป็นที่ลงมติแน่ว่า ผู้ใดอาบสนาน ณ ที่นั้น ย่อมได้ลิ้มรสอมฤตแห่งความไม่ตาย

Word by Word

• श्रुतिभिः: by the Vedas/Upaniṣads
• श्रुतिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• परिपठ्येते: are recited
• परिपठ्येते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन — Present, Passive, 3rd person, Dual

• सिता: white
• सिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• असिता: black/dark
• असिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सरित्-वरे: in the best of rivers
• सरित्-वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सरितां वरः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative adverbial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक-अव्यय — Indeclinable, locative adverb

• आप्लुताम्: bathed/immersed
• आप्लुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + प्लु (धातु) → आप्लुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• गाह्य: to be entered/forded
• गाह्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गाह् (धातु) → गाह्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be entered’)

• अमृतम्: nectar/immortality
• अमृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• भवती: becomes/is
• भवती: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → भवत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Present active participle used predicatively; Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक — Indeclinable, quotative particle

• विनिश्चितम्: is ascertained/decided
• विनिश्चितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + नि + चि (धातु) → विनिश्चित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga / Saṅgama (implied)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous riverbank where two personified rivers—one fair (Śvetā) and one dark (Asitā)—flow toward a sacred bathing place; Vedic ṛṣis recite Śruti while pilgrims enter the water, which shines like nectar.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti (Vedas)
• Sitā
• Asitā
• Prayāga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic testimony is invoked to affirm that bathing at Prayāga confers a deathless, nectar-like spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga’s sacred rivers/confluence, identified through the epithets Sitā and Asitā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna/āplavana (immersion) in the holy rivers at the tīrtha.