Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्नियमस्थो जितेन्द्रियः । उपोष्य रजनीमेकां कुलानां तारयेच्छतम्

Transliteration

tatra snātvā naro rājanniyamastho jitendriyaḥ | upoṣya rajanīmekāṃ kulānāṃ tārayecchatam

Translation

Wer dort badet, o König, standhaft in den Gelübden und die Sinne bezwungen, und eine einzige Nacht fastet, der würde hundert Generationen seines Geschlechts erlösen.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'there')

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); धातु: स्ना (to bathe)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नियमस्थः: abiding in observance (disciplined)
• नियमस्थः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियम-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled (having conquered the senses)
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जि) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण; 'इन्द्रियाणि जितानि येन'

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपवस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); धातु: उपवस् (to fast)

• रजनीम्: a night
• रजनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एकाम्: one
• एकाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• कुलानाम्: of families/lineages
• कुलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तारयेत्: would save/carry across
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; धातु: तॄ (to ferry across/save)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); संख्यावाचक-नाम (numeral used substantively)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakantaka/Narmadā tīrtha (tatra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined pilgrim at dawn bathing in a clear pool/river bend, then sitting in restraint through the night with a lamp; behind him, a line of ancestral figures (pitṛs) rising upward, symbolizing ‘hundred generations delivered’.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Amarakantaka (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-control plus tīrtha-practice magnifies merit, extending spiritual benefit beyond the individual to one’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha ‘there’ in context—Narmadā at/near Amarakantaka—where bathing and observance are especially potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the site, niyama (observances), jitendriyatā (sense-restraint), and upavāsa (fasting) for one night.