Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मपुत्रैः समानीताः पंचैताः सरितां वराः । गृह्णंत्वर्घ्यमिमं देव्यः सर्वपापप्रशांतये

Transliteration

brahmaputraiḥ samānītāḥ paṃcaitāḥ saritāṃ varāḥ | gṛhṇaṃtvarghyamimaṃ devyaḥ sarvapāpapraśāṃtaye

Translation

“Được các con của Phạm Thiên đưa đến đây, năm dòng sông tối thượng này—hỡi các Nữ Thần, xin nhận arghya này để mọi tội lỗi được lắng yên hoàn toàn.”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मपुत्रैः: by the sons of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मपुत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) = ब्रह्मन् + पुत्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन; instrumental plural (by/with the sons of Brahmā)

• समानीताः: brought (together)
• समानीताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; past passive participle ‘brought/led together’

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; indeclinable numeral used adjectivally

• एताः: these
• एताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun ‘these’

• सरिताम्: of rivers
• सरिताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; genitive plural ‘of rivers’

• वराः: excellent (ones)
• वराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; adjective ‘excellent/best’ (agreeing with implied ‘सरितः’)

• गृह्णन्तु: let (them) accept
• गृह्णन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; imperative ‘let them take/accept’

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya offering
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular ‘arghya-offering’

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative ‘this’ (agreeing with अर्घ्यम्)

• देव्यः: O goddesses
• देव्यः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; nominative plural ‘goddesses/divine ladies’ (addressed)

• सर्वपापप्रशान्तये: for the appeasement of all sins
• सर्वपापप्रशान्तये: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वपापप्रशान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) = सर्व + पाप + प्रशान्ति
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; dative singular ‘for the pacification of all sins’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti), quoting the arghya-mantra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada (Pañcanadī)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Five radiant river-goddesses stand or rise from five streams, receiving arghya from a pilgrim; behind them, austere Brahmā-putras appear as the mythic agents who ‘brought’ the rivers.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaputrāḥ
• Five rivers (Pañca-saritaḥ)
• Devyaḥ (river goddesses)
• Arghya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence to sacred rivers as goddesses, combined with mantra and offering, is taught as a means to quiet the burden of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pañcanada Tīrtha, centered on five deified rivers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite this arghya-mantra and offer arghya to the five river goddesses for sin-pacification.