Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गंगा च यमुनाचाथ नर्मदा च सरस्वती । चतुष्टयमिदं पुण्यं धुनीषु मुनिपुंगवाः

Transliteration

gaṃgā ca yamunācātha narmadā ca sarasvatī | catuṣṭayamidaṃ puṇyaṃ dhunīṣu munipuṃgavāḥ

Translation

恒河与阎牟那，讷尔摩达与娑罗萨伐底——此清净四河，为诸河之中最为神圣的一组，噢，最胜圣仙。

Word by Word

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• यमुना: Yamunā
• यमुना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/adverb), अनन्तरार्थ (then/also)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुष्टयम्: the set of four
• चतुष्टयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुष् + टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम; विशेषण

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

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

• मुनिपुङ्गवाः: O best of sages
• मुनिपुङ्गवाः: Sambodhana (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + पुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बोधनार्थे (addressing)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahānadī-catuṣṭaya (Gaṅgā–Yamunā–Narmadā–Sarasvatī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four river goddesses personified, each with distinct emblems, standing as a quartet before sages; Gaṅgā most radiant, Yamunā dark-blue, Narmadā serene, Sarasvatī white-golden with vīṇā symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Narmadā
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tradition highlights a foremost set of rivers whose sanctity is especially celebrated for purification and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rivers Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Narmadā, and Sarasvatī are collectively glorified as the sacred quartet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse identifies the principal sacred rivers rather than prescribing a specific act.