Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

आश्रमस्थान् द्विजान् दृष्ट्वा पप्रच्छ पृथिवीपतिः

Transliteration

āśramasthān dvijān dṛṣṭvā papraccha pṛthivīpatiḥ

Translation

Als der König die Dvija sah, die in einem Āśrama weilten, befragte er sie.

Word by Word

• आश्रमस्थान्: dwelling in the hermitage
• आश्रमस्थान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्रम + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—आश्रमेषु स्थाः

• द्विजान्: twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-छ्/पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पृथिवीपतिः: the king
• पृथिवीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—पृथिव्याः पतिः

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) āśrama-tīra

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil riverside āśrama with thatched huts and sacrificial fire; the king approaches respectfully and questions seated sages (dvijas) under trees.

Characters & Entities

• Citrasena
• Ṛṣis/Dvijas (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A pilgrim should approach the learned and disciplined (dvijas in āśramas) for right guidance on sacred practice and sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate focus is the āśrama setting that serves as a waypoint on the route to the Narmadā tīrthas described in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it emphasizes dhārmic inquiry and seeking instruction.