Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

ये जानन्ति न पश्यन्ति कुम्भशम्भुमुमापतिम् । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले तेषां जन्म निरर्थकम्

Transliteration

ye jānanti na paśyanti kumbhaśambhumumāpatim | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle teṣāṃ janma nirarthakam

Translation

Ceux qui connaissent Kumbhaśambhu, le Seigneur d’Umā, et pourtant ne le contemplent pas sur la rive méridionale de la Narmadā, leur naissance est vaine.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (of jānanti/paśyanti)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; relative pronoun

• jānanti: know
• jānanti: Kriya (verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), 3rd Person, Plural

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• paśyanti: see
• paśyanti: Kriya (verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), 3rd Person, Plural

• kumbhaśambhum: Kumbha-Śambhu (Śiva at Kumbha)
• kumbhaśambhum: Karman (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumbha-śambhu (प्रातिपदिक; कुम्भ + शम्भु)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; कर्मधारय-समास (कुम्भे स्थितः/कुम्भ-तीर्थ-सम्बद्धः शम्भुः)

• umāpatim: the husband of Umā (Śiva)
• umāpatim: Karman (object, apposition to kumbhaśambhum)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā-pati (प्रातिपदिक; उमा + पति)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: उमायाः पतिः)

• narmadā: from the Narmadā
• narmadā: Apadana (source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• dakṣiṇe: on the southern
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikarana (location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; agrees with kūle

• kūle: bank
• kūle: Adhikarana (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• janma: birth/life
• janma: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• nirarthakam: purposeless/fruitless
• nirarthakam: Karta-predicate (qualifier of janma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-arthaka (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + अर्थक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; उपसर्ग-पूर्वपद-तत्पुरुष (निरर्थक = ‘without purpose’) used predicatively with janma

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumbhaśambhu/Kumbheśvara on Revā (Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands on the Narmadā’s southern bank, gazing toward Kumbheśvara’s shrine; the verse’s admonition is visualized as a contrast between those who approach with folded hands and those who turn away despite knowing.

Characters & Entities

• Kumbhaśambhu (Śiva)
• Umāpati (Śiva)
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mere knowledge is incomplete without darśana and lived practice; pilgrimage and direct devotion are urged as life-fulfilling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kumbhaśambhu/Kumbheśvara on the southern bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (visiting and beholding) of Kumbhaśambhu at the Narmadā’s southern bank.