Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

नायातो मम लोके तु सर्वपापभयंकरे । शुक्लतीर्थे मृतानां तु नर्मदायां परं पदम्

Transliteration

nāyāto mama loke tu sarvapāpabhayaṃkare | śuklatīrthe mṛtānāṃ tu narmadāyāṃ paraṃ padam

Translation

„Er kam nicht in mein Reich, das furchtbare Ziel, vor dem man wegen aller Sünden erzittert. Denn für jene, die am Śukla-tīrtha an der Narmadā sterben, gibt es den höchsten Stand.“

Word by Word

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

• आयातः: has come
• आयातः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु) → आयात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: PPP used predicatively ‘has come’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; English: genitive singular ‘my’

• लोके: in (my) world/realm
• लोके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; English: masculine locative singular

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अन्वय); English: particle ‘but/indeed’

• सर्व-पाप-भयङ्करे: fearsome with all sins (i.e., terrifying for sinners)
• सर्व-पाप-भयङ्करे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + भयङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां भयङ्करः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘लोके’ इति विशेषणम्; English: adjective, masculine locative singular

• शुक्ल-तीर्थे: at Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्ल-तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (‘शुक्लं तीर्थम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; English: locative singular

• मृतानाम्: of those who have died
• मृतानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from मृ)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; English: genitive plural ‘of the dead’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphasis/contrast); English: particle

• नर्मदायाम्: in/on the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; English: feminine locative singular

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘पदम्’ इति विशेषणम्; English: adjective, neuter nominative/accusative singular

• पदम्: state/abode (goal)
• पदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; English: neuter nominative/accusative singular

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The petitioners/messengers and Yama’s assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama declares the exemption: a radiant riverbank of Narmadā with a bright (śukla) tīrtha; a departing soul ascending toward a luminous ‘parama pada’ while Yama’s realm recedes in shadow.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Śukla-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sthala-māhātmya: the sacred geography of the Narmadā includes tīrthas whose grace can override fearsome karmic outcomes and grant the highest goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla-tīrtha on the river Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct ritual is not prescribed; the verse states the fruit (parama pada) for one who dies at Śukla-tīrtha on the Narmadā.