Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सद्यः पापहरा गंगा सप्ताहेन कलिंदजा । त्र्यहात्सरस्वती रेवे त्वं तु दर्शनमात्रतः

Transliteration

sadyaḥ pāpaharā gaṃgā saptāhena kaliṃdajā | tryahātsarasvatī reve tvaṃ tu darśanamātrataḥ

Translation

گنگا فوراً گناہ ہرا دیتی ہے؛ کلندجا (یَمُنا) سات دن میں؛ سرسوتی تین دن میں۔ مگر اے رِیوا! تو تو محض دیدار ہی سے گناہ مٹا دیتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘तत्क्षणम्/तुरन्तम्’

• पापहरा: sin-removing
• पापहरा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-हर (प्रातिपदिक; हर = √हृ (धातु) ‘हरति’ से)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (गङ्गा-विशेषण)

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

• सप्ताहेन: in a week (by a week)
• सप्ताहेन: Karaṇa/Adhikaraṇa (Means/Time-span/करण/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्ताह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/अवधि-निर्देश (instrumental of time-span)

• कलिंदजा: Kalindajā (Yamunā)
• कलिंदजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिन्द-जा (प्रातिपदिक; जा = √जन् (धातु) ‘जायते’ से)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नदी-नाम (यमुना)

• त्र्यहात्: in three days (within three days)
• त्र्यहात्: Apādāna/Time-span (Ablative of duration/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान/अवधि-निर्देश (ablative of time-span): ‘तीन दिनों में/से’

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• रेवे: O Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधन (vocative)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): विरोध/विशेष-प्रदर्शन ‘किन्तु/तो’

• दर्शनमात्रतः: merely by (your) sight
• दर्शनमात्रतः: Hetu/Upādhi (Cause/Condition/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दर्शन-मात्र-तस् (प्रातिपदिक + तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्यय/ablatival adverb): ‘केवल दर्शन से/मात्र दर्शन से’

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine speaker extols four sacred rivers, with Revā personified as a goddess receiving special praise; the rivers appear as flowing bands with attendant devas and tīrtha-symbols (kalaśa, lotus, conch).

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā (Kalindajā)
• Sarasvatī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain tīrthas are so potent that even darśana (sacred sight) itself becomes a purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā is uniquely praised as sin-destroying through mere darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of Narmadā is presented as efficacious; bathing is not required in this verse.