Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

वाहिनी वहते तत्र नदी कांचनशेखरात् । धातवस्तत्र ते रक्ताः श्वेता नीलास्तथाऽसिताः

Transliteration

vāhinī vahate tatra nadī kāṃcanaśekharāt | dhātavastatra te raktāḥ śvetā nīlāstathā'sitāḥ

Translation

ณ ที่นั้น แม่น้ำวาหินีไหลออกมาจากเขากาญจนเศขระ ที่นั่นมีแร่ธาตุสีแดง สีขาว สีน้ำเงิน และสีดำด้วย

Word by Word

• वाहिनी: (a) stream/river-current
• वाहिनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम्

• वहते: flows, carries
• वहते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमानकालः), आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• नदी: river
• नदी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (apposition to वाहिनी)

• काञ्चनशेखरात्: from Kāñcanaśekhara (the golden-peaked [mountain])
• काञ्चनशेखरात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चनशेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th) एकवचनम् (ablative); कर्मधारयः (काञ्चनः शेखरः)

• धातवः: minerals, ores
• धातवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• ते: those
• ते: Sambandha (Determiner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; धातवः इत्यस्य विशेषण-प्रयोगः (demonstrative)

• रक्ताः: red
• रक्ताः: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (धातवः)

• श्वेताः: white
• श्वेताः: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (धातवः)

• नीलाः: blue
• नीलाः: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (धातवः)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (in like manner/also)

• असिताः: black, dark
• असिताः: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (धातवः)

Speaker

Bhadra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāhinī (river) at Kāñcanaśekhara, within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous hill named Kāñcanaśekhara with a clear river (Vāhinī) springing forth; riverbanks glitter with multicolored mineral strata—red, white, blue, black—like natural pigments laid in bands.

Characters & Entities

• Vāhinī (river)
• Kāñcanaśekhara
• Dhātus (minerals/ores)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of a tīrtha is conveyed through vivid natural features—river-source and distinctive terrain—making sacred space tangible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa/Vastrāpatha region, identified by the Vāhinī river and the Kāñcanaśekhara source-area.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse provides environmental identifiers relevant for pilgrimage orientation.