Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

मन्त्रयित्वा सुरैः सर्वैर्दत्ता माण्डव्यधीमते । तां वज्रशूलिकां प्लाव्य पवित्रैर्नर्मदोदकैः

Transliteration

mantrayitvā suraiḥ sarvairdattā māṇḍavyadhīmate | tāṃ vajraśūlikāṃ plāvya pavitrairnarmadodakaiḥ

Translation

Après avoir consulté tous les dieux, elle fut donnée au sage Māṇḍavya. Puis il baigna cette Vajraśūlikā dans les eaux pures de la Narmadā.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रयित्वा: having consulted / having deliberated
• मन्त्रयित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्त्रय् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• सुरैः: by/with the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of सुरैः)

• दत्ता: was given
• दत्ता: Kriya (Main predicate, passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

• माण्डव्यधीमते: to the wise Māṇḍavya
• माण्डव्यधीमते: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (माण्डव्यस्य धीमत् = māṇḍavya-the-wise)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• वज्रशूलिकाम्: the vajra-like stake/spike
• वज्रशूलिकाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शूलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वज्रवत् शूलिका = thunderbolt-like stake/impaling spike)

• प्लाव्य: having washed/immersed
• प्लाव्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-तुल्य (absolutive/gerund in -ya), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; causative/denominative sense possible: ‘having caused to float/washed’

• पवित्रैः: pure, sanctifying
• पवित्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (contextual), तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of नर्मदोदकैः)

• नर्मदोदकैः: with the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदोदकैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नर्मदायाः उदकानि)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual voice within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine assembly consults; the maiden Vajraśūlikā is ritually bathed with shimmering Narmadā water, priests holding kalashas and pavitra-grass, with the river personified as a goddess in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya Ṛṣi
• Vajraśūlikā
• Narmadā (Revā)
• the gods (surāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine counsel and ritual purity (through sacred waters) are shown as instruments for restoring dharma and sanctifying life-transitions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā/Revā itself—its waters are explicitly praised as pavitra (sanctifying).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ritual bathing/washing (plāvya) using the pure waters of the Narmadā.