Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

नर्मदायाः सुतस्तत्र सशल्यो विशलीकृतः । सर्वदेवैश्च ऋषिभिर्विशल्या तेन सा स्मृता

Transliteration

narmadāyāḥ sutastatra saśalyo viśalīkṛtaḥ | sarvadevaiśca ṛṣibhirviśalyā tena sā smṛtā

Translation

Dort wurde der Sohn der Narmadā, in dem eine Pfeilspitze steckte, «pfeillos» gemacht, geheilt. Darum wird sie/jenes Heiligtum von allen Göttern und ṛṣis als Viśalyā in Erinnerung gehalten.

Word by Word

• नर्मदायाः: of Narmadā
• नर्मदायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• स-शल्यः: with a dart/arrow (embedded)
• स-शल्यः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/‘सह’) + शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (शल्येन सह/शल्ययुक्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सुतः)

• विशलीकृतः: was made dartless; had the dart removed
• विशलीकृतः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शल् (धातु) + कृत (कृ धातोः क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; causative/denominative sense: ‘made free of the dart’

• सर्व-देवैः: by all the gods
• सर्व-देवैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (‘all gods’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• विशल्या: Viśalyā (the dartless one)
• विशल्या: Karta (Subject of स्मृता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper name/epithet)

• तेन: therefore; by that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument: ‘therefore/by that’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Apposition to विशल्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्मृता: was called/known
• स्मृता: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘was called/remembered’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśalyā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the Narmadā bank, a wounded divine/semidivine figure—‘son of Narmadā’—is healed as the embedded arrowhead is removed; devas and sages witness and proclaim the name Viśalyā; the river glows as if medicinal.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Narmadāputra
• Devas
• Ṛṣis
• Viśalyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is celebrated not only for merit but for grace that removes affliction—symbolized by the removal of the śalya (piercing pain/karma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśalyā tīrtha on/near the Narmadā, named after the miraculous ‘removal of the śalya’ connected with Narmadā’s son.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse provides the name-origin (nāma-nirukti) and the healing miracle associated with the site.