Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ततः स्वस्थानमगमद्यत्र देवो महेश्वरः । नर्मदातीरमाश्रित्यावसन्मातृगणैः सह

Transliteration

tataḥ svasthānamagamadyatra devo maheśvaraḥ | narmadātīramāśrityāvasanmātṛgaṇaiḥ saha

Translation

Dann begab sie sich in ihre eigene, ihr bestimmte Wohnstatt—dorthin, wo der Herr Maheśvara weilt—und nahm Zuflucht am Ufer der Narmadā, wo sie zusammen mit der Schar der Mütter verweilte.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-आर्थक क्रियाविशेषणम् (ablative adverb: ‘then/thereafter’)

• स्वस्थानम्: his own abode/place
• स्वस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)—“स्वस्य स्थानम्”

• अगमत्: went
• अगमत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative locative adverb: ‘where’)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृपदम्

• महेश्वरः: Mahēśvara (the Great Lord, Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः; देवः इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन्

• नर्मदातीरम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)—“नर्मदायाः तीरम्”

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• अवसत्: dwelt/stayed
• अवसत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मातृगणैः: with the host of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृगणैः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः—“मातॄणां गणैः” (instrumental of accompaniment)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपसर्ग/निपात (postposition ‘with’), तृतीया-विभक्तिसहयोगी

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Revā Khaṇḍa narration—likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra Maheśvara-sthāna (Revā-khaṇḍa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After cosmic frenzy, Devī moves toward a serene riverbank; Maheśvara’s presence is felt as a calm liṅga/temple silhouette; Mātṛkās gather around Devī like a protective circle; the Narmadā flows luminous under moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Narmadā
• Mātṛgaṇa (Mother-goddess hosts)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even terrifying divine powers become harmonized when established near Śiva and a sacred river; sanctity is grounded in Śiva’s presence and tīrtha geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā-tīra (bank of the Narmadā) in the Amaraṃkaṭa region, presented as a residence of Maheśvara and the Mātṛkās.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse identifies the sacred setting (Śiva’s abode by the Narmadā) that later supports tīrtha practices like snāna and darśana.