Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

ये जानन्ति न पश्यन्ति कुम्भशम्भुमुमापतिम् । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले तेषां जन्म निरर्थकम्

Transliteration

ye jānanti na paśyanti kumbhaśambhumumāpatim | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle teṣāṃ janma nirarthakam

Translation

Wer von Kumbhaśambhu, dem Herrn der Umā, weiß und Ihn doch nicht am Südufer der Narmadā erblickt—dessen Geburt ist vergeblich.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (of jānanti/paśyanti)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; relative pronoun

• jānanti: know
• jānanti: Kriya (verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), 3rd Person, Plural

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• paśyanti: see
• paśyanti: Kriya (verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), 3rd Person, Plural

• kumbhaśambhum: Kumbha-Śambhu (Śiva at Kumbha)
• kumbhaśambhum: Karman (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumbha-śambhu (प्रातिपदिक; कुम्भ + शम्भु)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; कर्मधारय-समास (कुम्भे स्थितः/कुम्भ-तीर्थ-सम्बद्धः शम्भुः)

• umāpatim: the husband of Umā (Śiva)
• umāpatim: Karman (object, apposition to kumbhaśambhum)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā-pati (प्रातिपदिक; उमा + पति)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: उमायाः पतिः)

• narmadā: from the Narmadā
• narmadā: Apadana (source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• dakṣiṇe: on the southern
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikarana (location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; agrees with kūle

• kūle: bank
• kūle: Adhikarana (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• janma: birth/life
• janma: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• nirarthakam: purposeless/fruitless
• nirarthakam: Karta-predicate (qualifier of janma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-arthaka (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + अर्थक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; उपसर्ग-पूर्वपद-तत्पुरुष (निरर्थक = ‘without purpose’) used predicatively with janma

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumbhaśambhu/Kumbheśvara on Revā (Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands on the Narmadā’s southern bank, gazing toward Kumbheśvara’s shrine; the verse’s admonition is visualized as a contrast between those who approach with folded hands and those who turn away despite knowing.

Characters & Entities

• Kumbhaśambhu (Śiva)
• Umāpati (Śiva)
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mere knowledge is incomplete without darśana and lived practice; pilgrimage and direct devotion are urged as life-fulfilling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kumbhaśambhu/Kumbheśvara on the southern bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (visiting and beholding) of Kumbhaśambhu at the Narmadā’s southern bank.