Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

शुक्लतीर्थे मृतानां तु नर्मदाविमले जले । अण्डजस्वेदजातीनां न गतिर्मम सन्निधौ

Transliteration

śuklatīrthe mṛtānāṃ tu narmadāvimale jale | aṇḍajasvedajātīnāṃ na gatirmama sannidhau

Translation

Doch wer in Śukla Tīrtha stirbt, in den reinen Wassern der Narmadā, findet keinen Übergang in mein Reich, selbst Wesen, die aus Eiern oder aus Schweiß geboren sind.

Word by Word

• शुक्लतीर्थे: at the Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्लतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; शुक्ल + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• मृतानाम्: of the dead (persons)
• मृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) used substantively

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• नर्मदा-विमले: in the pure Narmadā (water)
• नर्मदा-विमले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नर्मदा-विमल (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + विमल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• अण्डज-स्वेद-जातीनााम्: of the egg-born and sweat-born species
• अण्डज-स्वेद-जातीनााम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्डज-स्वेद-जाती (प्रातिपदिक; अण्डज + स्वेद + जाति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; समाहार/वर्गवाचक (classes)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• गतिः: a passage/attainment
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय-निर्देश

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• सन्निधौ: in (my) presence
• सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Dharma (personified), declaring jurisdictional exemption

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Two crows (dānavas in disguise)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama’s proclamation about Śukla Tīrtha: the dark, regal court of Yama contrasted with luminous, white-pure Narmadā waters; subtle imagery of beings crossing beyond messengers of death.

Characters & Entities

• Śukla Tīrtha
• Narmadā
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain supremely sanctifying tīrthas confer protection that transcends ordinary post-death judgment, highlighting the redemptive power of sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla Tīrtha, situated in the pure waters of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied practice is tīrtha-sevana—seeking the Narmadā’s pure waters and the sanctity of Śukla Tīrtha; no explicit japa/dāna is stated in this verse.