Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

विषादं परमं गत्वा नर्मदातटमाश्रितः । अपृच्छद्भास्करं तीर्थं द्विजेभ्यो द्विजसत्तमः

Transliteration

viṣādaṃ paramaṃ gatvā narmadātaṭamāśritaḥ | apṛcchadbhāskaraṃ tīrthaṃ dvijebhyo dvijasattamaḥ

Translation

Tombé dans un désespoir profond, il se réfugia sur la rive de la Narmadā. Là, le meilleur des deux-fois-nés interrogea les brāhmanes au sujet du Bhāskara-tīrtha.

Word by Word

• viṣādam: despondency, sorrow
• viṣādam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• paramam: supreme, intense
• paramam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (viṣādam-विशेषण)

• gatvā: having gone/entered
• gatvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• narmadā-taṭam: the bank of the Narmadā
• narmadā-taṭam: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक) + taṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘bank of Narmadā’)

• āśritaḥ: having taken refuge (at), resorted to
• āśritaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śri (धातु) + ā- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त (Past Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• apṛcchat: asked
• apṛcchat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach (धातु) + apa- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhāskaram: Bhāskara (Sun-related)
• bhāskaram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; tīrtham-विशेषण (name-epithet)

• tīrtham: sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• tīrtham: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• dvijebhyaḥ: from/to the twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvijebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative) बहुवचन (also can function as dative plural in usage); here—सम्प्रदानार्थे (to whom asked)

• dvija-sattamaḥ: the best of the twice-born
• dvija-sattamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘best’ qualifying ‘dvija’)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narrative voice within Āvantya-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāskara-tīrtha (introduced as object of inquiry)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A leprosy-stricken brāhmaṇa sits on the Narmadā bank, hands folded, asking a small group of brāhmaṇas about Bhāskara-tīrtha; the river flows calmly behind.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Bhāskara-tīrtha
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In suffering, one should turn toward sacred geography and the counsel of the learned, seeking dharmic means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhāskara-tīrtha, a Sun-associated tīrtha on the Narmadā/Revā, is explicitly named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Consultation with dvijas about a tīrtha is shown; the implied practice is tīrtha-yātrā and subsequent observances there.