Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

द्रक्ष्यामि त्वां पुनरहं कुत्र वै वसतीं सखि । एवमुक्ता तया गंगा प्रोवाच स्निग्धया गिरा

Transliteration

drakṣyāmi tvāṃ punarahaṃ kutra vai vasatīṃ sakhi | evamuktā tayā gaṃgā provāca snigdhayā girā

Translation

‘اے سہیلی! میں تمہیں پھر کہاں دیکھوں گی، اور تم کہاں رہو گی؟’ یوں کہے جانے پر گنگا نے محبت بھری نرم آواز میں جواب دیا۔

Word by Word

• drakṣyāmi: I shall see
• drakṣyāmi: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु √dṛś/दृश्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• punar: again
• punar: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक (again)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kutra: where
• kutra: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-देशवाचक (interrogative adverb: where)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (emphasis)

• vasatīm: dwelling, residing
• vasatīm: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु √vas/वस् ‘to dwell’)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; “वसन्तीम्” (dwelling)

• sakhi: O friend
• sakhi: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• uktā: having been spoken to
• uktā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु √vac/वच्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—“उक्ता” (having been addressed)

• tayā: by her
• tayā: Karaṇa/Agent-in-passive (Instrumental agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• provāca: said
• provāca: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु √vac/वच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; “प्र + उवाच” (said)

• snigdhayā: affectionate, gentle
• snigdhayā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snigdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; “girā” इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• girā: with speech/words
• girā: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) as narrator; direct speech by Sarasvatī, response by Gaṅgā begins

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gentle, intimate exchange between two divine feminine figures—one asking where she will meet Gaṅgā again; Gaṅgā responds with affectionate softness, set against a luminous coastal sacred landscape of Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual friendship and sacred continuity persist through tīrtha-geography; divine beings ‘abide’ to bless seekers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, as the narrative arena where the abodes and movements of sacred rivers are discussed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a dialogue about divine dwelling rather than prescribing a practice.