Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अनलं नर्मदातीरे सर्वत्र गमनाधिकम् । अष्टषष्टिं तु देवस्य भास्करस्यामितद्युतेः

Transliteration

analaṃ narmadātīre sarvatra gamanādhikam | aṣṭaṣaṣṭiṃ tu devasya bhāskarasyāmitadyuteḥ

Translation

Am Ufer der Narmadā gibt es eine heilige Übung namens „Anala“, berühmt dafür, überall eine erhabene Freiheit des Gehens zu verleihen. Dort soll man die achtundsechzigfache Lobpreisung und Verehrung des Gottes Bhāskara vollziehen, dessen Glanz unermesslich ist.

Word by Word

• अनलम्: Anala (name; ‘fire’)
• अनलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• नर्मदातीरे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-तीर (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + तीर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नर्मदायाः तीरम्)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Sambandha/Adverbial (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• गमनाधिकम्: superior in movement/going
• गमनाधिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गमन-अधिक (प्रातिपदिक; गमन + अधिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गमने अधिकः)

• अष्टषष्टिम्: sixty-eight
• अष्टषष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट-षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; अष्ट + षष्टि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (अष्ट च षष्टिः = 68)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• भास्करस्य: of Bhāskara (the Sun)
• भास्करस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अमितद्युतेः: of (him) of immeasurable radiance
• अमितद्युतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित-द्युति (प्रातिपदिक; अमित + द्युति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/विशेषण-रूपेण, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (अमिता द्युतिः यस्य)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva), inferred from the ongoing narration style in this section

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra (Anala observance site)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn on the Narmadā: a sādhaka stands waist-deep offering arghya; a small fire (anala) burns on the bank; a rosary or tally marks indicate 68 praises; Bhāskara rises with intense rays.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Bhāskara (Sūrya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic path links sacred geography with disciplined worship: honoring Sūrya at a tirtha multiplies auspicious outcomes and spiritual potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred spot/observance called “Anala” on the bank of the Narmadā, within the broader Prabhāsa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed, sixty-eightfold act of praise/worship (aṣṭaṣaṣṭi) for Bhāskara (Sūrya).