Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

विश्रम्य च पुनर्गच्छेद्भाराक्रान्तो महीपतिः । सचैलं कुरुते स्नानं मुक्त्वास्थीनि पदे पदे

Transliteration

viśramya ca punargacchedbhārākrānto mahīpatiḥ | sacailaṃ kurute snānaṃ muktvāsthīni pade pade

Translation

Après s’être reposé, le roi, accablé par le poids de l’effort et de l’ascèse, reprenait sa marche. Sans quitter ses vêtements, il accomplissait le bain rituel, et, pas après pas, il laissait tomber des os.

Word by Word

• विश्रम्य: having rested
• विश्रम्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-श्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb)

• गच्छेत्: would go/then goes
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; छन्दसि/कथनप्रवाहे विधिलिङ्-प्रयोगः

• भाराक्रान्तः: overburdened by the load
• भाराक्रान्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भार + आक्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—भारेण आक्रान्तः

• महीपतिः: the king
• महीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सचैलम्: with clothes on (not removing garments)
• सचैलम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स + चैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणम्

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुक्त्वा: having released/dropped
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive)

• अस्थीनि: bones
• अस्थीनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पदे: at (each) step/place
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त्या ‘पदे पदे’

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (distributive)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (goal implied)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, exhausted, pauses at small water sources to bathe without removing garments; he continues walking, occasionally letting small portions of bone-remains fall/are placed reverently along the path.

Characters & Entities

• Citrasena
• Narmadā (implied by section context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is portrayed as tapas—endurance, purity, and steadfast movement toward a sacred goal even amid bodily hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Revā Khaṇḍa pilgrimage setting leading toward the Narmadā-region tīrthas (the Śūlabheda route is developed in the surrounding verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), explicitly performed even while clothed (sa-caila-snānā).