Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

चक्रं विभीषणं मर्त्ये ज्वालामालासमन्वितम् । पतितं नर्मदातोये जलशायिसमीपतः

Transliteration

cakraṃ vibhīṣaṇaṃ martye jvālāmālāsamanvitam | patitaṃ narmadātoye jalaśāyisamīpataḥ

Translation

Jener Diskus—furchterregend in der Welt der Sterblichen, von einem Kranz aus Flammen umwunden—fiel in die Wasser der Narmadā, nahe dem Ort des auf den Wassern ruhenden Herrn (Jalaśāyī).

Word by Word

• चक्रम्: discus; wheel
• चक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular)

• विभीषणम्: terrifying; dreadful
• विभीषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• मर्त्ये: in the mortal world
• मर्त्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• ज्वालामाला-समन्वितम्: endowed with a garland of flames
• ज्वालामाला-समन्वितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त; सम्+अन्वि/अन्वि धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) अर्थे ‘युक्त/समेत’ (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; past participial adjective)

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; ‘fallen’)

• नर्मदा-तोये: in the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• जलशायि-समीपतः: from near (the) Jalashāyī
• जलशायि-समीपतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जलशायिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘समीपतः’ = ‘from/near’ (Indeclinable adverbial)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta/Skanda framework within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha (near Jalaśāyī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (māhīpati / nṛpanandana / Bhārata addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing discus wreathed in flames arcs down from the sky and plunges into the dark-green Narmadā near a serene Viṣṇu (Jalaśāyī) presence; water erupts in luminous spray, riverbanks lined with sages and trees.

Characters & Entities

• Cakra (Sudarśana)
• Narmadā
• Jalaśāyī (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even fearsome divine power becomes auspicious when connected with a tīrtha; sacred waters transform and consecrate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Narmadā tīrtha associated with “Jalaśāyī” (the Water-Reclining Viṣṇu) is indicated as a sanctified locality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse functions as a site-marker within the Māhātmya, suggesting pilgrimage and remembrance.