Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

नर्मदातटमाश्रित्य तपस्युग्रे व्यवस्थिताः । सिद्धेश्वरे महाराज काश्यपेयैर्महात्मभिः

Transliteration

narmadātaṭamāśritya tapasyugre vyavasthitāḥ | siddheśvare mahārāja kāśyapeyairmahātmabhiḥ

Translation

“Taking refuge on the bank of the Narmadā, they engaged in fierce austerity at Siddheśvara, O great king—those great-souled ones, the descendants of Kaśyapa.”

Word by Word

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• तटम्: bank
• तटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; accusative singular

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge at, having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + √श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having resorted to’

• तपसि: in austerity
• तपसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative singular

• उग्रे: intense
• उग्रे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; adjective agreeing with तपसि

• व्यवस्थिताः: were stationed/engaged
• व्यवस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; past participle

• सिद्धेश्वरे: at Siddheśvara
• सिद्धेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सिद्धानाम् ईश्वरः/सिद्धैः ईश्वरः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative singular (place-name/temple)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative singular

• काश्यपेयैः: by the descendants of Kaśyapa
• काश्यपेयैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काश्यपेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; instrumental plural

• महात्मभिः: by great-souled (ones)
• महात्मभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; instrumental plural; adjective qualifying kāśyapeyaiḥ

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara (Narmadā-taṭa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (mahārāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The twelve Ādityas, descendants of Kaśyapa, stand on the Narmadā’s bank near the Siddheśvara liṅga, performing fierce austerities—sunlike beings humbled before Śiva and the river.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Siddheśvara
• Kaśyapa
• Ādityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas on sacred rivers are portrayed as power-centers where intense tapas quickly bears fruit under Śiva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddheśvara Tīrtha situated on the bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) at Siddheśvara on the Narmadā bank is the practice described.