Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सत्यमेव मया देवि जाह्नवी शिरसा धृता । याः काश्चित्सरितो लोके तासां पुण्या सरस्वती

Transliteration

satyameva mayā devi jāhnavī śirasā dhṛtā | yāḥ kāścitsarito loke tāsāṃ puṇyā sarasvatī

Translation

แท้จริงแล้ว โอ้เทวี ข้าพเจ้าเคยทรงแม่น้ำชาห์นวี (คงคา) ไว้เหนือเศียร แต่ท่ามกลางสายน้ำทั้งปวงในโลก สรัสวตีเป็นแม่น้ำอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์และประทานบุญกุศลยิ่งที่สุด

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Assertion/वाक्यभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावेन वाक्ये ‘सत्यं’ (as predicate/statement)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana/Agent-instrument (By/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

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

• जाह्नवी: Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नवी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिरसा: with (my) head
• शिरसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• धृता: borne/held
• धृता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (‘has been borne/held’)

• याः: which (f.)
• याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• काश्चित्: some
• काश्चित्: Visheshana (Indefinite qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (‘some’)

• सरितः: rivers/streams
• सरितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तासाम्: of those
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पुण्या: holy, meritorious
• पुण्या: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘सरस्वती’)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī (Prabhāsa)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks to Devī, gesturing toward a radiant Sarasvatī river; above, a subtle vignette shows Gaṅgā descending and resting in Śiva’s matted locks, underscoring his authority.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even among famed holy rivers, the Purāṇa elevates Sarasvatī here as uniquely meritorious, urging reverence for this specific tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī tīrtha associated with Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse establishes comparative sanctity to inspire pilgrimage and worship.