Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

पृथगायतनैः शुभ्रैर्लिङ्गैर्वालुकमृन्मयैः । भ्राजते या सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा नक्षत्रैरिव शर्वरी

Transliteration

pṛthagāyatanaiḥ śubhrairliṅgairvālukamṛnmayaiḥ | bhrājate yā saricchreṣṭhā nakṣatrairiva śarvarī

Translation

Diese beste der Flüsse erglänzt durch einzelne, reine Heiligtümer und durch Liṅgas aus Sand und Lehm, wie die Nacht, die von Sternbildern funkelt.

Word by Word

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• आयतनैः: by abodes/shrines
• आयतनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• शुभ्रैः: white, pure
• शुभ्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; विशेषण (आयतन/लिङ्ग)

• लिङ्गैः: by liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• वालुकमृन्मयैः: made of sand and clay
• वालुकमृन्मयैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वालुका-मृन्मय (प्रातिपदिक; वालुका + मृन्मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; द्वन्द्व-समास (वालुकमय + मृन्मय)

• भ्राजते: shines
• भ्राजते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• या: who/which (she)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Relative pronoun, Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा: best of rivers
• सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित्-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; सरित् + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; नदीविशेषः

• नक्षत्रैः: with stars / by stars
• नक्षत्रैः: Upamana-sahakari (Standard of comparison/उपमान-सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-dyotaka (Comparative marker/उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• शर्वरी: night
• शर्वरी: Upamana (Object of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda Purāṇa narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra Śiva-āyatana-mālā (garland of shrines)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night on the Narmadā: the riverbank is studded with many small white shrines and sand/clay liṅgas, each with a tiny lamp; above, a star-filled sky mirrors the lights below, making the river appear like a celestial band.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Śiva-liṅga (liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple forms of devotion—like worshipping liṅgas fashioned from sand or clay—can fill a tīrtha with radiant sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbanks as a Śaiva tīrtha-scape marked by many liṅga-shrines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice of establishing/worshipping liṅgas (even of sand/clay) at the riverbank.