Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वर्षाऋतुसमायोगे सर्वा नद्यो रजस्वलाः । मुक्त्वा सरस्वतीं गङ्गां नर्मदां यमुनानदीम्

Transliteration

varṣāṛtusamāyoge sarvā nadyo rajasvalāḥ | muktvā sarasvatīṃ gaṅgāṃ narmadāṃ yamunānadīm

Translation

جب برسات کا موسم آتا ہے تو سب ندیاں ‘رجسولا’ یعنی ناپاکی کی حالت میں سمجھی جاتی ہیں؛ مگر سرسوتی، گنگا، نرمدا اور دریائے یمنا اس سے مستثنیٰ ہیں۔

Word by Word

• varṣā-ṛtu-samāyoge: at the rainy season
• varṣā-ṛtu-samāyoge: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक) + samāyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘at the conjunction/season of rains’)

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• nadyaḥ: rivers
• nadyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• rajasvalāḥ: (are) rajasvalā (ritually impure)
• rajasvalāḥ: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rajasvalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (menstruating/impure)

• muktvā: excepting/leaving aside
• muktvā: Kriya (Gerundial/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having left/excepting’

• sarasvatīm: Sarasvatī (river)
• sarasvatīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• gaṅgām: Gaṅgā
• gaṅgām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• narmadām: Narmadā
• narmadām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• yamunā-nadīm: the river Yamunā
• yamunā-nadīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yamunā (प्रातिपदिक) + nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘the river Yamunā’)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (Revā Khaṇḍa narrator voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Revā (Narmadā), Sarasvatī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (by continuity of the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon clouds pour over landscapes; many rivers are shown turbulent and symbolically ‘rajasvalā,’ while four rivers appear luminous and calm, personified as goddesses with clear waters, indicating exception and perennial sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Gaṅgā
• Narmadā
• Yamunā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography matters in Purāṇic dharma: certain rivers retain exceptional sanctity even when seasonal conditions affect ordinary waters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse elevates major river-tīrthas—especially Narmadā (Revā)—along with Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and Sarasvatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies a seasonal restriction/consideration for snāna (ritual bathing): most rivers are avoided in the rains, with named exceptions.