Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्नियमस्थो जितेन्द्रियः । उपोष्य रजनीमेकां कुलानां तारयेच्छतम्

Transliteration

tatra snātvā naro rājanniyamastho jitendriyaḥ | upoṣya rajanīmekāṃ kulānāṃ tārayecchatam

Translation

S’y étant baigné, un homme—ô roi—ferme dans ses observances et maître de ses sens, en jeûnant une seule nuit, délivrerait cent générations de sa lignée.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'there')

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); धातु: स्ना (to bathe)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नियमस्थः: abiding in observance (disciplined)
• नियमस्थः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियम-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled (having conquered the senses)
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जि) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण; 'इन्द्रियाणि जितानि येन'

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपवस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); धातु: उपवस् (to fast)

• रजनीम्: a night
• रजनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एकाम्: one
• एकाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• कुलानाम्: of families/lineages
• कुलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तारयेत्: would save/carry across
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; धातु: तॄ (to ferry across/save)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); संख्यावाचक-नाम (numeral used substantively)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakantaka/Narmadā tīrtha (tatra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined pilgrim at dawn bathing in a clear pool/river bend, then sitting in restraint through the night with a lamp; behind him, a line of ancestral figures (pitṛs) rising upward, symbolizing ‘hundred generations delivered’.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Amarakantaka (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-control plus tīrtha-practice magnifies merit, extending spiritual benefit beyond the individual to one’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha ‘there’ in context—Narmadā at/near Amarakantaka—where bathing and observance are especially potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the site, niyama (observances), jitendriyatā (sense-restraint), and upavāsa (fasting) for one night.