Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

दधिस्कन्दे मधुस्कन्दे नन्दीशे वरुणालये । आग्नेये यत्फलं तात स्नात्वा तत्फलमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

dadhiskande madhuskande nandīśe varuṇālaye | āgneye yatphalaṃ tāta snātvā tatphalamāpnuyāt

Translation

In Dadhiskanda, Madhuskanda, Nandīśa und Varuṇālaya—welche Frucht auch immer für das Āgneya-Ritual verkündet ist, mein Lieber, eben diese Frucht erlangt man durch das Bad dort.

Word by Word

• दधिस्कन्दे: at Dadhiskanda (tīrtha)
• दधिस्कन्दे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि + स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative; name of a tīrtha

• मधुस्कन्दे: at Madhuskanda (tīrtha)
• मधुस्कन्दे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative; name of a tīrtha

• नन्दीशे: at Nandīśa
• नन्दीशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative; name of a place/tīrtha

• वरुणालये: at Varuṇa’s abode
• वरुणालये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण + आलय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative; ‘abode of Varuṇa’

• आग्नेये: at Āgneya
• आग्नेये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative; ‘in/at Āgneya (tīrtha/quarter)’

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘फलम्’ (relative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Subject of implied ‘is’

• तात: O dear (son)/O dear one
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘फलम्’ (correlative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Object

• आप्नुयात्: should obtain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; should obtain

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dadhiskanda; Madhuskanda; Nandīśa; Varuṇālaya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘Tāta’ addressed (dear one)—a disciple/kingly interlocutor in the ongoing dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like procession of four ghāṭas/kuṇḍas labeled with their names; pilgrims bathing at each; symbolic elements: curd pot for Dadhiskanda, honey pot for Madhuskanda, Nandī bull for Nandīśa, water-pot/ocean motif for Varuṇālaya; a small sacred fire icon indicating Āgneya phala.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhiskanda
• Madhuskanda
• Nandīśa
• Varuṇālaya
• Agni (Āgneya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Multiple tīrthas form a sacred network; bathing in them is equated with high ritual fruits, emphasizing the power of sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A cluster of sites—Dadhiskanda, Madhuskanda, Nandīśa, and Varuṇālaya—within the Narmadā pilgrimage context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at these named tīrthas to gain the stated Āgneya fruit.