Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सर्वाभ्योपि नदीभ्यश्च श्रेष्ठाः सर्वाः समुद्रगाः । ततोपि हि महाश्रेष्ठाः सरित्सु सरिदुत्तमाः

Transliteration

sarvābhyopi nadībhyaśca śreṣṭhāḥ sarvāḥ samudragāḥ | tatopi hi mahāśreṣṭhāḥ saritsu sariduttamāḥ

Translation

诸河之中，凡归入大海者最为殊胜；而更在其上者，乃至极尊胜之河——在诸流之中被称为最上。

Word by Word

• सर्वाभ्यः: from all
• सर्वाभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थ (even/also)

• नदीभ्यः: from (among) the rivers
• नदीभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• श्रेष्ठाः: excellent/superior
• श्रेष्ठाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• समुद्रगाः: ocean-going (flowing to the sea)
• समुद्रगाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्र + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण; (समुद्रं गच्छन्ति इति)

• ततः: than that/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial ablative), तस्मात्-अर्थ (thereafter/from that)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थ (even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• महाश्रेष्ठाः: very excellent
• महाश्रेष्ठाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• सरित्सु: among the rivers
• सरित्सु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सरिदुत्तमाः: the best of rivers
• सरिदुत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरित् + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण; (सरितां उत्तमाः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic map-like tableau: many rivers converging toward the ocean; above them a highlighted set of ‘best streams’ glowing brighter, indicating higher sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Rivers
• Ocean (samudra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography recognizes degrees of sanctity, moving from general praise toward identifying the most eminent rivers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site yet; it introduces a graded exaltation of rivers, leading to naming the foremost rivers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal ranking statement rather than a ritual instruction.