Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

चक्रतीर्थं वदन्त्यन्ये केचित्कालाघनाशनम् । विख्यातं भारते वर्षे नर्मदायां महीपते

Transliteration

cakratīrthaṃ vadantyanye kecitkālāghanāśanam | vikhyātaṃ bhārate varṣe narmadāyāṃ mahīpate

Translation

Les uns l’appellent Cakratīrtha ; d’autres le disent destructeur de l’épaisse obscurité du Temps. Il est renommé dans tout Bhārata-varṣa, ô roi, sur la Narmadā.

Word by Word

• चक्र-तीर्थम्: Cakra-tīrtha (the ‘discus’ ford/shrine)
• चक्र-तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• वदन्ति: they say
• वदन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present Indicative, 3rd person, Plural)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun) (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• काल-अघन-आशनम्: (called) ‘Kālāghanāśana’ (destroyer of sin/impurity)
• काल-अघन-आशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अघन (प्रातिपदिक) + आशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; epithet)

• विख्यातम्: renowned
• विख्यातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; ‘renowned’)

• भारते: in Bhārata (India)
• भारते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे ‘भारत’ (भारतवर्ष) अथवा पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative, Singular)

• वर्षे: in the land/region (varṣa)
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• नर्मदायाम्: in/on the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• महीपते: O king
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपतिः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator of the Revā Khaṇḍa (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha / Kālāghanāśana

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (māhīpati)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wide view of Narmadā with a marked ghat; above it, a symbolic dark cloud labeled ‘kāla-tamas’ is split by a radiant cakra-light, illuminating pilgrims and temples along the bank.

Characters & Entities

• Cakratīrtha
• Narmadā
• Bhārata-varṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is presented as a power that cuts through karmic fear and the oppressive sense of time by granting merit and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakratīrtha, a renowned sacred ford on the river Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is listed in this verse; it establishes the tīrtha’s fame and salvific power.