Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

मार्गेण तस्य संजातं जाह्नव्याः स्रोत उत्तमम् । निर्धूतकल्मषः सर्पः संजातो नर्मदाजले

Transliteration

mārgeṇa tasya saṃjātaṃ jāhnavyāḥ srota uttamam | nirdhūtakalmaṣaḥ sarpaḥ saṃjāto narmadājale

Translation

Auf seinem Weg entstand der vortreffliche Strom der Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā). Und in den Wassern der Narmadā wurde die Schlange gereinigt, ihre Sünden hinweggewaschen.

Word by Word

• मार्गेण: by the path/way
• मार्गेण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संजातम्: arose/was produced
• संजातम्: Karta (Subject as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-जन् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• जाह्नव्याः: of the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्रोतः: stream/current
• स्रोतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निर्धूतकल्मषः: whose sin/impurity is washed off
• निर्धूतकल्मषः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्धूत + कल्मष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कल्मषं निर्धूतम् यस्य (बहुव्रीहि-भावार्थः), रूपतः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासप्राय

• सर्पः: the serpent
• सर्पः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संजातः: became/arose
• संजातः: Karta (Subject as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-जन् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• नर्मदाजले: in the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदाजले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नर्मदायाः जले (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā with Jāhnavī-srotaḥ manifestation (mythic)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within Narmadā’s waters, a luminous ‘Gaṅgā-current’ appears like a bright ribbon; Vāsuki emerges cleansed, his scales gleaming, the river shimmering with sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• Narmadā
• Vāsuki (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy rivers are portrayed as living purifiers; contact with their waters removes impurities and restores spiritual auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā’s sanctifying waters, with a legendary linkage to the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā) current.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse emphasizes purification through association with sacred waters.