Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

प्रतिपच्छुक्लपक्षे या भवेदाश्वयुजे नृप । तदा तीर्थवरे गत्वा स्नात्वा वै नर्मदाजले

Transliteration

pratipacchuklapakṣe yā bhavedāśvayuje nṛpa | tadā tīrthavare gatvā snātvā vai narmadājale

Translation

O king, when the first lunar day (pratipat) of the bright fortnight occurs in the month of Āśvayuja, then one should go to that excellent tīrtha and bathe indeed in the waters of the Narmadā.

Word by Word

• प्रतिपत्: the first lunar day (pratipad)
• प्रतिपत्: Karta (Subject of relative clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपद्/प्रतिपत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शुक्लपक्षे: in the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (शुक्लः पक्षः)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• भवेत्: may occur/be
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Verb of clause/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• आश्वयुजे: in the month of Āśvayuja
• आश्वयुजे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्वयुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (मासे)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Time adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तीर्थवरे: at the excellent tīrtha
• तीर्थवरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समास: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (वरं तीर्थम्)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), धातु: गम्

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), धातु: स्ना

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• नर्मदाजले: in the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदाजले: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नर्मदायाः जलम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śikhitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Autumn month Āśvayuja: bright fortnight first day; pilgrims gather at dawn on Narmadā, performing ritual bath; banners and lamps at Śikhitīrtha; priests guiding snāna rites.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Āśvayuja (Āśvina)
• Pratipat
• Śikhitīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit increases when pilgrimage and bathing are performed at the proper sacred time aligned with the lunar calendar.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘excellent tīrtha’ in context is Śikhitīrtha on the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe (snāna) in the Narmadā on Āśvayuja (Āśvina) bright-half pratipat after going to the tīrtha.