Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

मया सह महाभाग नर्मदातटमाश्रिताः । फलमूलकृताहारा अर्चयन्तः स्थिताः शिवम्

Transliteration

mayā saha mahābhāga narmadātaṭamāśritāḥ | phalamūlakṛtāhārā arcayantaḥ sthitāḥ śivam

Translation

يا ذا الحظّ السعيد، لقد احتمَوا معي بضفّة نَرْمَدا؛ يقتاتون بالثمار والجذور، ويقيمون هناك عاكفين على عبادة شيفا.

Word by Word

• मया: by/with me
• मया: Sahakari (Instrumental/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्गसदृश/particle): with

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् भागः यस्य); सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• नर्मदातटम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नर्मदायाः तटम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आश्रिताः: having taken refuge in / resorting to
• आश्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• फलमूलकृताहाराः: whose food is made of fruits and roots
• फलमूलकृताहाराः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फल + मूल + कृत + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (फलमूलकृतः आहारः येषाम्); बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत् प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अर्चयन्तः: worshipping
• अर्चयन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्थिताः: standing, remaining
• स्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa (general)

Type: riverbank/kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahābhāga / nṛpa (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of leaf-thatched hermitages along the Narmadā; ascetics with jaṭā and kamaṇḍalu gather flowers and bilva leaves; a simple Śiva-liṅga under a tree is worshipped with water from the river; offerings are fruits and roots.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and simple living at a sacred river-bank, joined with devotion to Śiva, is upheld as a powerful dharmic path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā river-bank (Narmadā-taṭa) as a prime setting for tapas and Śiva worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Residing on the Narmadā bank, maintaining a fruits-and-roots diet, and performing regular worship (arcana) of Śiva.