Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

मद्भर्ता विषमे स्थाने शकुन्तमृगजातिषु । यदि प्रेषयसे तात कंचित्त्वं नर्मदातटे

Transliteration

madbhartā viṣame sthāne śakuntamṛgajātiṣu | yadi preṣayase tāta kaṃcittvaṃ narmadātaṭe

Translation

My husband is in grievous plight, among the births of birds and beasts. If you send someone, dear father, let it be to the bank of the Narmadā.

Word by Word

• मत्-भर्ता: my husband/lord
• मत्-भर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मत् = मम)

• विषमे: in difficult/uneven
• विषमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'स्थाने' इति विशेषणम्

• स्थाने: in a place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शकुन्त-मृग-जातिषु: among the kinds of birds and beasts
• शकुन्त-मृग-जातिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समाहार/निर्देशार्थे तत्पुरुषः (शकुन्तानां मृगाणां जातिषु)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• प्रेषयसे: you send
• प्रेषयसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• तात: dear father/sir
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• कंचित्: someone
• कंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थे (indefinite)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नर्मदा-तटे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तटे)

Speaker

Kanyā (the maiden)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed maiden speaks to her father, pointing toward the sacred Narmadā bank as the destination to aid her husband trapped in beast-and-bird births; the river is envisioned as luminous and salvific.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas like the Narmadā are presented as dharmic centers where compassionate action for the afflicted/departed is undertaken.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) riverbank tīrtha context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To send a person/agent to the Narmadā bank for the intended rite (clarified in subsequent verses).