Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

शन्नो देवीति कूलस्थो जपेन्मुच्येत किल्बिषैः

Transliteration

śanno devīti kūlastho japenmucyeta kilbiṣaiḥ

Translation

واقفًا على ضفّة النهر، ليردّد المرء المانترا التي تبتدئ بـ «śaṃ no devī…»؛ وبذلك يتحرّر من الآثام.

Word by Word

• शन्: auspiciously/for welfare
• शन्: Mantra particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शम् (धातु)
• Form: वैदिक-अव्यय/निपात; मन्त्रपद (benedictive particle)

• नः: for us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; 'our' (enclitic)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta/Address (Subject/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मन्त्रे सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयुज्यते

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक (quotative)

• कूलस्थः: one standing on the riverbank
• कूलस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — 'कूले स्थितः'

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मुच्येत: would be freed
• मुच्येत: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (passive sense: 'be released')

• किल्बिषैः: from sins
• किल्बिषैः: Apadana (Ablative sense via instr./अपादानार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; अपादान/हेत्वर्थे (from sins)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kūla-japa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands on the riverbank with joined palms, facing the flowing Revā; the air carries the mantra ‘śaṃ no devī…’ as luminous syllables; dark smoke-like ‘sins’ dissolve into the river’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Goddess)
• Revā/Narmadā (implied by section)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious mantra-japa performed with reverence at a tīrtha purifies wrongdoing and restores spiritual clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The river-bank of Revā/Narmadā within the Revākhaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of the mantra beginning “śaṃ no devī…” while staying on the river-bank.