Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पिबेज्जलं निराहारः स गच्छन् दक्षिणामुखः । अचिरेणैव कालेन संगतो नर्मदातटम्

Transliteration

pibejjalaṃ nirāhāraḥ sa gacchan dakṣiṇāmukhaḥ | acireṇaiva kālena saṃgato narmadātaṭam

Translation

Sans prendre de nourriture, il ne buvait que de l’eau, marchant le visage tourné vers le sud. En peu de temps, il atteignit la rive de la Narmadā.

Word by Word

• पिबेत्: should drink/drinks
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निराहारः: without food/fasting
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—आहारः नास्ति यस्य (निर्-उपसर्गेण)

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

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दक्षिणामुखः: facing south
• दक्षिणामुखः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—दक्षिणं मुखं यस्य

• अचिरेण: in a short (time)
• अचिरेण: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; कालवाचक-तृतीया

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कालेन: with time/within time
• कालेन: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक-तृतीया

• संगतः: reached/arrived
• संगतः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नर्मदातटम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—नर्मदायाः तटम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, gaunt from fasting, arrives at the broad Narmadā bank; the river glows, with gentle currents; he stands in reverence, ready for rites.

Characters & Entities

• Citrasena
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint (fasting) and single-minded travel toward a sacred river are upheld as purifying disciplines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā-taṭa (bank of the Narmadā) is highlighted as the sacred destination within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nirāhāra (fasting) with water intake—pibej jalam—during the journey.