Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

दक्षिणे नर्मदातीरे कपिला तु महानदी । सरलार्जुनसंछन्ना खदिरैरुपशोभिता

Transliteration

dakṣiṇe narmadātīre kapilā tu mahānadī | saralārjunasaṃchannā khadirairupaśobhitā

Translation

Am Südufer der Narmadā liegt der große Fluss Kapilā, bedeckt von Sarala- und Arjuna-Bäumen und geschmückt durch Khadira-Bäume.

Word by Word

• दक्षिणे: in the south / on the southern side
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (locative: in the southern [side])

• नर्मदा-तीरे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तीरम्)

• कपिला: Kapilā (river name)
• कपिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः (contrast/emphasis)

• महा-नदी: a great river
• महा-नदी: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (महती नदी)

• सरल-अर्जुन-संछन्ना: covered with sarala and arjuna trees
• सरल-अर्जुन-संछन्ना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरल (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक) + संछन्न (कृदन्त; √छद्/छाद् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त-विशेषणम् (covered); तत्पुरुषसमासः (सरलैः अर्जुनैः च संछन्ना)

• खदिरैः: by/with khadira trees
• खदिरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खदिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), बहुवचनम्

• उपशोभिता: adorned / beautified
• उपशोभिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-शोभित (कृदन्त; √शुभ् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (adorned/beautified)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā/Kāpila-tīrtha (implied)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wide southern bank of the Narmadā with the Kapilā river flowing nearby; dense sarala and arjuna trees arch over the water; khadira trees punctuate the grove; the atmosphere is cool, green, and secluded.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Kapilā (river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacredness is expressed through divine geography—rivers and forests become carriers of purity and pilgrimage merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kapilā river-region on the southern bank of the Narmadā near the Amarakanṭaka sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse situates the pilgrim in a sanctified natural setting.