Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

नायातो मम लोके तु सर्वपापभयंकरे । शुक्लतीर्थे मृतानां तु नर्मदायां परं पदम्

Transliteration

nāyāto mama loke tu sarvapāpabhayaṃkare | śuklatīrthe mṛtānāṃ tu narmadāyāṃ paraṃ padam

Translation

“તે મારા લોકમાં આવ્યો નથી, જે સર્વ પાપો માટે ભયંકર ગતિ છે. નર્મદાના શુક્લતીર્થમાં જે દેહ ત્યાગે છે તેમને પરમ પદ (મોક્ષ) પ્રાપ્ત થાય છે.”

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात; English: negation particle

• आयातः: has come
• आयातः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु) → आयात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: PPP used predicatively ‘has come’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; English: genitive singular ‘my’

• लोके: in (my) world/realm
• लोके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; English: masculine locative singular

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अन्वय); English: particle ‘but/indeed’

• सर्व-पाप-भयङ्करे: fearsome with all sins (i.e., terrifying for sinners)
• सर्व-पाप-भयङ्करे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + भयङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां भयङ्करः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘लोके’ इति विशेषणम्; English: adjective, masculine locative singular

• शुक्ल-तीर्थे: at Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्ल-तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (‘शुक्लं तीर्थम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; English: locative singular

• मृतानाम्: of those who have died
• मृतानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from मृ)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; English: genitive plural ‘of the dead’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphasis/contrast); English: particle

• नर्मदायाम्: in/on the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; English: feminine locative singular

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘पदम्’ इति विशेषणम्; English: adjective, neuter nominative/accusative singular

• पदम्: state/abode (goal)
• पदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; English: neuter nominative/accusative singular

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The petitioners/messengers and Yama’s assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama declares the exemption: a radiant riverbank of Narmadā with a bright (śukla) tīrtha; a departing soul ascending toward a luminous ‘parama pada’ while Yama’s realm recedes in shadow.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Śukla-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sthala-māhātmya: the sacred geography of the Narmadā includes tīrthas whose grace can override fearsome karmic outcomes and grant the highest goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla-tīrtha on the river Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct ritual is not prescribed; the verse states the fruit (parama pada) for one who dies at Śukla-tīrtha on the Narmadā.