Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

गतेषु सर्वदेवेषु कामदेवोऽपि भारत । तपश्चचार विपुलं नर्मदातटमाश्रितः

Transliteration

gateṣu sarvadeveṣu kāmadevo'pi bhārata | tapaścacāra vipulaṃ narmadātaṭamāśritaḥ

Translation

Lorsque tous les dieux furent partis, Kāmadeva aussi, ô Bhārata, entreprit de vastes austérités, prenant refuge sur la rive de la Narmadā.

Word by Word

• गतेषु: when (they) had gone; after (they) went
• गतेषु: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), बहुवचन (locative plural)

• सर्वदेवेषु: among/when all the gods (were gone)
• सर्वदेवेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (सर्वे देवाः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• कामदेवः: Kāmadeva
• कामदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कामस्य देवः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थ (also/even)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चचार: practised; performed
• चचार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• विपुलम्: great; abundant
• विपुलम्: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तपः)

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

• आश्रितः: having resorted to; dwelling on
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√श्रि (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Narrator (addressing Bhārata/king; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tata (Revā-tīra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (king addressed as ‘Bhārata’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāmadeva, now embodied, leaves the celestial assembly and sits on the Narmadā bank in ascetic posture—matted hair, minimal ornaments, focused gaze—river flowing beside him.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadeva
• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even celestial beings seek purification and grace through tapas performed at sacred rivers and tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) riverbank, a central sacred geography of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is highlighted as the chosen discipline, performed at the Narmadā-taṭa.