Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

नीवारश्यामाकयवेङ्गुदाद्यैरन्यैर्मुनीन्द्रा इह वर्तयन्ति । आप्रित्य कूलं त्रिदशानुगीतं ते नर्मदाया न विशन्ति मृत्युम्

Transliteration

nīvāraśyāmākayaveṅgudādyairanyairmunīndrā iha vartayanti | āpritya kūlaṃ tridaśānugītaṃ te narmadāyā na viśanti mṛtyum

Translation

هنا يقتات سادةُ الحكماء بالأرزّ البريّ والدُّخن والشعير والنبق وما شابه ذلك. متعلّقين بالضفة التي أنشدت بها الآلهة، لا يدخلون في قبضة الموت عند نَرْمَدَا، بل يتجاوزون سلطانَه.

Word by Word

• nīvāra-śyāmāka-yava-iṅguda-ādyaiḥ: with nīvāra, śyāmāka, barley, iṅguda, etc.
• nīvāra-śyāmāka-yava-iṅguda-ādyaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīvāra (प्रातिपदिक) + śyāmāka (प्रातिपदिक) + yava (प्रातिपदिक) + iṅguda (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-समाहार, तृतीया बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः ‘नीवारादिभिः’

• anyaiḥ: with other (things)
• anyaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (with other [foods])

• munīndrāḥ: chief sages
• munīndrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां इन्द्राः)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• vartayanti: sustain (themselves)/live
• vartayanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; causative/denominative sense ‘maintain/continue (life)’

• āpritya: having approached
• āpritya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Gerundial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā√prī/ā√prā? (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; having resorted to/approached

• kūlam: the bank
• kūlam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• tridaśa-anugītam: praised by the gods
• tridaśa-anugītam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + anugīta (कृदन्त; anu√gai/√gā ‘to sing’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (त्रिदशैः अनुगीतम्)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन

• narmadāyāḥ: of Narmadā
• narmadāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन; Genitive singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• viśanti: enter
• viśanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• mṛtyum: death
• mṛtyum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā/Revā tīra (deva-stuta bank)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of sages on the Narmadā bank, living on simple forest grains and fruits; devas above sing praises of the bank; the sages appear serene, beyond fear of death.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Tridaśa (Devas)
• Munīndra (Sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austere living supported by the sanctity of Revā’s bank is portrayed as a path to conquering death’s dominion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) bank, celebrated by the devas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An ascetic mode of life: simple forest foods and sustained residence/support on the sacred bank.