Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

नर्मदातटमाश्रित्य स्थापयित्वात्मनस्तनुम् । सहस्रांशुं निधिं धाम्नां जगामाकाशमव्ययम्

Transliteration

narmadātaṭamāśritya sthāpayitvātmanastanum | sahasrāṃśuṃ nidhiṃ dhāmnāṃ jagāmākāśamavyayam

Translation

S’étant réfugié sur la rive de la Narmadā, il y établit sa propre présence incarnée; puis Sahasrāṁśu, le Soleil aux mille rayons, trésor des splendeurs, s’en alla vers le ciel impérissable.

Word by Word

• नर्मदातटम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातटम्: Karma (Object of आश्रित्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तटम्)

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge at/approached
• आश्रित्य: Kriyā (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having resorted to)

• स्थापयित्वा: having placed/established
• स्थापयित्वा: Kriyā (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था + णिच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having established/placed)

• आत्मनः: of himself/one’s own
• आत्मनः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तनुम्: body, form
• तनुम्: Karma (Object of स्थापयित्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• सहस्रांशुम्: the thousand-rayed one (Sun)
• सहस्रांशुम्: Karma (Object of जगाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अंशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (सहस्राः अंशवो यस्य) = सूर्यः

• निधिम्: treasure, repository
• निधिम्: Karma (Apposition to सहस्रांशुम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• धाम्नाम्: of abodes/splendours
• धाम्नाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आकाशम्: the sky
• आकाशम्: Karma (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• अव्ययम्: imperishable, undecaying
• अव्ययम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of आकाशम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (आकाशस्य)

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) within Revā Khaṇḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasrāṁśu/Sahasrakiraṇa-tīrtha on Revā (implied)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a luminous Narmadā bank, the Sun-god establishes a radiant embodied presence (a liṅga-like solar icon or arca with rays), then ascends into the sky leaving a sanctified locus behind; river glitters with golden reflections.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Sahasrāṁśu (Sūrya)
• Ākāśa (sky)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred riverbank becomes a lasting seat of divine presence; the cosmic Sun also graciously localizes himself for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) riverbank is explicitly glorified as a locus where Sūrya establishes his presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied model of pratiṣṭhā/ स्थापना: establishing a divine form or presence at a tirtha, supporting Sūrya-pūjā on the Narmadā’s banks.