Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

सकुटुम्बं समस्तं मां दाहयित्वानले नृप । अस्थीनि नर्मदातोये शूलभेदे विनिक्षिप

Transliteration

sakuṭumbaṃ samastaṃ māṃ dāhayitvānale nṛpa | asthīni narmadātoye śūlabhede vinikṣipa

Translation

O king, burn me—together with my entire household—in fire. Then cast my bones into the waters of the Narmadā, at Śūlabheda.

Word by Word

• सकुटुम्बम्: together with (my) family
• सकुटुम्बम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + कुटुम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (कुटुम्बेन सह) विशेषणम् (माम्)

• समस्तम्: entire, whole
• समस्तम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माम्)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दाहयित्वा: having burned
• दाहयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having burned/caused to burn)

• अनले: in fire
• अनले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्थीनि: bones
• अस्थीनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अत्र कर्म (विनिक्षिप)

• नर्मदातोये: in the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तोयम्)

• शूलभेदे: at Śūlabheda (place)
• शूलभेदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शूलस्य भेदः)

• विनिक्षिप: place, deposit
• विनिक्षिप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Dīrghatapā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn instruction: the king is asked to cremate the elder (with household) and immerse the bones in Narmadā at Śūlabheda; the mood is grave yet spiritually resolved.

Characters & Entities

• Dīrghatapā
• Narmadā
• Śūlabheda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic path of purification may demand radical surrender; Revā/Narmadā is presented as a powerful locus for cleansing grave impurity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda on the Narmadā (Revā) is explicitly named as the place for depositing the bones.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A cremation instruction followed by asthi-visarjana (immersion/deposition of bones) in Narmadā waters at the Śūlabheda tīrtha.