Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

स एवं तां मृदं नीत्वा मुक्त्वा तीरे तथोत्तरे । ददर्श भास्करं पश्चान्मन्त्रेणानेन चालभेत्

Transliteration

sa evaṃ tāṃ mṛdaṃ nītvā muktvā tīre tathottare | dadarśa bhāskaraṃ paścānmantreṇānena cālabhet

Translation

Ainsi, ayant pris cette argile sacrée et l’ayant déposée sur la rive —sur la berge du nord—, il contempla ensuite le Soleil ; puis, il doit toucher ou offrir en vénération avec ce mantra.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मृदम्: clay/earth
• मृदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• नीत्वा: having taken/led
• नीत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having led/taken’

• मुक्त्वा: having released
• मुक्त्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having released/let go’

• तीरे: on the bank/shore
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise / so
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• उत्तरे: on the northern (bank)
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘तीरे’ इति पदस्य विशेषण

• ददर्श: he saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भास्करम्: the Sun (Bhāskara)
• भास्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• मन्त्रेण: by/with a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अलभेत्: he should obtain
• अलभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator/instructional voice

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (uttara-tīra)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim carries a small lump of sacred clay, places it on the northern bank, then turns to behold the rising Sun and performs mantra-touch/offerings at the river’s edge.

Characters & Entities

• mṛd (sacred clay)
• uttara-taṭa (northern bank)
• Bhāskara (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha practice is a disciplined sequence—purification with sacred earth, reverent handling of it, and concluding with divine contemplation (Sūrya-darśana) and mantra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā/Revā northern bank context within the Bhāreśvara muktitīrtha episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A procedural vidhi: take mṛd with mantra, release/place it at the bank (uttara side), then perform Bhāskara (Sun) darśana and worship/touch with a mantra.