Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

सिंहचित्रकशोभाढ्ये मृगवाराहसंकुले । क्रीडित्वा स वने राजा नर्मदामानतः क्वचित्

Transliteration

siṃhacitrakaśobhāḍhye mṛgavārāhasaṃkule | krīḍitvā sa vane rājā narmadāmānataḥ kvacit

Translation

In jenem Wald—glänzend durch Löwen und leuchtende Wunder, erfüllt von Hirschen und Ebern—vergnügte sich der König; und an einer Stelle näherte er sich der Narmadā.

Word by Word

• सिंहचित्रकशोभाढ्ये: in (a place) rich in the beauty of lions and variegated sights
• सिंहचित्रकशोभाढ्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + चित्रक (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभा (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; (स्थाने) विशेषणम्; 'सिंह-चित्रक-शोभाभिः आढ्ये' (rich in the beauty of lions and spotted/variegated forms)

• मृगवाराहसंकुले: in (a place) crowded with deer and boars
• मृगवाराहसंकुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + वाराह (प्रातिपदिक) + संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; (स्थाने) विशेषणम्; द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (मृगाश्च वाराहाश्च) + संकुल (crowded)

• क्रीडित्वा: having sported
• क्रीडित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तः (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययम्; अर्थः—'क्रीडित्वा' (having played/sported)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• नर्मदाम्: the Narmadā (river)
• नर्मदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• आनतः: bowed/approached reverently
• आनतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + नम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अर्थः—'आनतः' (bent down; approached with reverence)

• क्वचित्: at some point; somewhere
• क्वचित्: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; काल/देश-अनिश्चितार्थक-अव्ययम् (indefinite adverb: at some time/somewhere)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Skanda Purāṇa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (approach point, unnamed)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vibrant forest alive with lions, deer, and boars; the king moves through clearings; in the distance the Narmadā glints, drawing the scene toward a sacred horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even worldly pursuits can lead one to the threshold of a sacred river; proximity to the Narmadā signals an opening for purification and dharmic transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) is directly referenced, central to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha-mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets the approach to the sacred river where later rites may be implied.