Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । पुरा दाक्षायणी नाम सहिता शूलपाणिना । क्रीडित्वा नर्मदातोये परया च मुदा नृप

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | purā dākṣāyaṇī nāma sahitā śūlapāṇinā | krīḍitvā narmadātoye parayā ca mudā nṛpa

Translation

श्रीमार्कण्डेय बोले—हे नृप! प्राचीन काल में दाक्षायणी नाम वाली देवी शूलपाणि शिव के साथ नर्मदा के जल में परम आनन्द से क्रीड़ा करती थीं।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘श्री’ उपपदपूर्वकः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• दाक्षायणी: Dākṣāyaṇī (Satī)
• दाक्षायणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Visheshana (Appositive/विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: संज्ञासूचक-अव्यय (indeclinable indicating name)

• सहिता: accompanied
• सहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त ‘सह’ + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘दाक्षायणी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शूलपाणिना: with Śūlapāṇi (Śiva)
• शूलपाणिना: Sahakaraka (Instrument/Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलपाणि (प्रातिपदिक; शूल + पाणि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• क्रीडित्वा: having played/sported
• क्रीडित्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• नर्मदातोये: in the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-तोय (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + तोय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• परया: with great/supreme
• परया: Hetu/Instrument (Means/हेतु-तृतीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘मुदा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Hetu/Instrument (Means/हेतु-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Śūlapāṇi) and Dākṣāyaṇī (Umā) joyfully sporting in the Narmadā, surrounded by shimmering waters; a devotional yet intimate divine tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Dākṣāyaṇī
• Śūlapāṇi (Śiva)
• Narmadā
• Nṛpa (Yudhiṣṭhira)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are sanctified by divine presence; the river becomes a living sacred space through Śiva and Devī’s līlā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) waters in the Viśalyā/Amareśvara narrative zone, framed as a divine playground of Śiva and Devī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse begins the origin-story that grounds later tīrtha practices like snāna and dāna.