Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्पर्वणि देवेशि शङ्खं संस्पृश्य मानवः । स्नानमाचरते तोये मिश्रे गाङ्गेयनार्मदे

Transliteration

tasminparvaṇi deveśi śaṅkhaṃ saṃspṛśya mānavaḥ | snānamācarate toye miśre gāṅgeyanārmade

Translation

Ô Souveraine Déesse, en cette occasion sacrée, l’homme, après avoir touché la conque (śaṅkha), doit accomplir le bain dans les eaux où se mêlent le courant du Gaṅgā et les eaux de la Narmadā.

Word by Word

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• parvaṇi: on the festival/astronomical occasion
• parvaṇi: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• deveśi: O Lord of the gods
• deveśi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सम्बोधन-समानरूप/अधिकरण), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे सप्तमी (O Lord of gods)

• śaṅkham: conch
• śaṅkham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• saṃspṛśya: having touched
• saṃspṛśya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ√spṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘स्पृश्’ धातोः; पूर्वक्रिया

• mānavaḥ: a man
• mānavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ācarate: performs
• ācarate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√car (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• toye: in water
• toye: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• miśre: mixed
• miśre: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: miśra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘toye’)

• gāṅgeya-nārmade: (water) of the Ganga and the Narmada
• gāṅgeya-nārmade: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gāṅgeya (प्रातिपदिक) + nārmada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (गङ्गेयश्च नार्मदश्च) विशेषणम् ‘toye’

Speaker

Śiva (deduced; addressing Deveśī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhoddhāra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (‘Devēśi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a river ghat; a devotee reverently touches a conch held by a priest, then steps into shimmering waters depicted as two currents interlacing (Gaṅgā and Narmadā).

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha
• Gaṅgā
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is intensified when bodily rite (snāna) is joined to sacred symbols (touching the conch) and sanctified waters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhoddhāra-tīrtha, characterized by the conch and the praised mingling of Gaṅgā and Narmadā waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Touch the conch (śaṅkha-saṃsparśa) and bathe (snāna) in the mixed Gaṅgā–Narmadā waters during that parvan.