Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यांवा चतुर्दश्यां निराहारो वसेत्तु यः । नर्मदेश्वरमासाद्य प्राप्नुयाज्जन्मनः फलम्

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃvā caturdaśyāṃ nirāhāro vasettu yaḥ | narmadeśvaramāsādya prāpnuyājjanmanaḥ phalam

Translation

Quiconque demeure là, à jeun, au huitième ou au quatorzième tithi, et s’approche de Narmadeśvara, obtient la vraie fruition de la naissance humaine.

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (तिथिवाचक)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (lunar day)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (तिथिवाचक)

• निराहारः: fasting
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (without food/fasting)

• वसेत्: should stay/dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• नर्मदेश्वरम्: Narmadeśvara (Lord of Narmadā)
• नर्मदेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः ईश्वरः)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having reached/approached’

• प्राप्नुयात्: would attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जन्मनः: of (his) birth/life
• जन्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit (result)
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadeśvara-tīrtha (Revā bank)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, lean from fasting, stands before a Śiva-liṅga titled Narmadeśvara near the Narmadā; lamps flicker; offerings are minimal—bilva leaves, water, and a single flower; the moon phase suggests Aṣṭamī or Caturdaśī night.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life reaches its intended fulfillment through disciplined devotion—fasting and pilgrimage—directed toward Śiva at a sacred tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadeśvara on the Narmadā riverbank, within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) and tīrtha-vāsa (staying at the holy place) on aṣṭamī or caturdaśī tithis, culminating in darśana of Narmadeśvara.