Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

नाचिकेतो विभाण्डश्च वालखिल्यादयस्तथा । शातातपश्च शङ्खश्च जैमिनिर्गोभिलस्तथा

Transliteration

nāciketo vibhāṇḍaśca vālakhilyādayastathā | śātātapaśca śaṅkhaśca jaiminirgobhilastathā

Translation

Là se trouvaient Nāciketa et Vibhāṇḍa, ainsi que les Vālakhilya et d’autres encore ; Śātātapa et Śaṅkha aussi, et Jaimini avec Gobhila.

Word by Word

• nāciketaḥ: Nāciketa (a sage)
• nāciketaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāciketa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vibhāṇḍaḥ: Vibhāṇḍa (a sage)
• vibhāṇḍaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhāṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vālakhilya-ādayaḥ: Vālakhilyas and others
• vālakhilya-ādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālakhilya (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘आदि’शब्देन समासः (…and others)

• tathā: likewise, also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/particle: ‘likewise/also’)

• śātātapaḥ: Śātātapa (a sage)
• śātātapaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śātātapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• śaṅkhaḥ: Śaṅkha (a sage)
• śaṅkhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• jaiminiḥ: Jaimini (a sage)
• jaiminiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaimini (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gobhilaḥ: Gobhila (a sage)
• gobhilaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gobhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise, also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/particle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrthas (samantataḥ—around the river)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverbank hermitage setting where a narrator recites a roll-call of venerable sages—Nāciketa, Vibhāṇḍa, Vālakhilyas, Śātātapa, Śaṅkha, Jaimini, Gobhila—suggesting a grand conclave before a sacred journey.

Characters & Entities

• Nāciketa
• Vibhāṇḍa
• Vālakhilyas
• Śātātapa
• Śaṅkha
• Jaimini
• Gobhila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

By associating the episode with celebrated sages, the Purāṇa frames the tīrtha tradition as ancient, widely accepted, and spiritually authoritative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the Narmadā sacred region leading into Ravitīrtha; this verse lists sages rather than a particular shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it is descriptive narration.