Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

मुनय ऊचुः । इतः क्रोशान्तरादर्वाक्तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले ततो द्रक्ष्यसि नान्यथा

Transliteration

munaya ūcuḥ | itaḥ krośāntarādarvāktīrthaṃ paramaśobhanam | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle tato drakṣyasi nānyathā

Translation

قال الحكماء: «من هنا، على مسافة كروشا واحدة، يوجد مَعبَرٌ مقدّس بالغ الجمال يُدعى أرفاك-تيرثا (Arvāk-tīrtha). على الضفّة الجنوبية لنهر نارمدا (Narmadā) ستراه، ولا محيد عن ذلك.»

Word by Word

• मुनयः: the sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• इतः: from here
• इतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• क्रोशान्तरात्: from a distance of one krośa
• क्रोशान्तरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोश-अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक; क्रोश + अन्तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्वाक्: nearer/this side (towards here)
• अर्वाक्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्वाक् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: दिशावाचक (directional)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• परमशोभनम्: most beautiful
• परमशोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम-शोभन (प्रातिपदिक; परम + शोभन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier) of तीर्थम्

• नर्मदायाः: of the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of कूले

• कूले: bank
• कूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ततः: there/then/from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: तस्मात्/तत्रादि (from there/then)

• द्रक्ष्यसि: you will see
• द्रक्ष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-पद (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

Speaker

Munis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arvāk-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Citrasena

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages point out the route: ‘within a krośa’ lies Arvāk-tīrtha, a beautiful ford on Narmadā’s southern bank; the river glints as a guiding line through the landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Arvāk-tīrtha
• Narmadā
• Citrasena (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthayātrā is grounded in precise sacred geography—holy places are approached through guided, tradition-backed directions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arvāk-tīrtha, located on the southern bank of the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated in this verse; it provides location guidance to reach the tīrtha.