Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

नवनाडीनिरोधेन काष्ठावत्यां गतेन च । तोषितः पशुभर्ता वै नारदेन युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

navanāḍīnirodhena kāṣṭhāvatyāṃ gatena ca | toṣitaḥ paśubhartā vai nāradena yudhiṣṭhira

Translation

“Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, dengan mengekang sembilan nāḍī (saluran prāṇa) dan memasuki keadaan Kāṣṭhāvatī, Nārada menyenangkan Sang Pemelihara makhluk, Tuhan penopang segala yang bernyawa.”

Word by Word

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवन् (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासे पूर्वपदत्वेन (as numeral qualifier)

• नाडी: channels (nāḍīs)
• नाडी: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाडी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपद (in compound)

• निरोधेन: by the restraint of the nine nāḍīs
• निरोधेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: नव-नाडी-निरोध (नवीनां नाडीनां निरोधः)

• काष्ठावत्याम्: in Kāṣṭhāvatī
• काष्ठावत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गतेन: by (Nārada) who had gone
• गतेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त) used adjectivally, पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); ‘नारदेन’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तोषितः: was pleased; satisfied
• तोषितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पशुभर्ता: the sustainer of creatures (Śiva)
• पशुभर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु-भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; पशु + भर्तृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘तोषितः’ इत्यस्य कर्ता

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• नारदेन: by Nārada
• नारदेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naradeśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada in intense yogic austerity: breath restrained, body motionless like wood (kāṣṭhāvatī), while Paśubhṛt (Śiva as Lord of beings) is subtly shown as pleased—perhaps as a radiant liṅga or a faint divine form above the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Nārada
• Paśupati/Śiva (Paśubhartā)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kāṣṭhāvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner discipline (yoga and restraint) is portrayed as a direct cause of divine grace and the sanctification of place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā riverbank setting is implied; this verse explains the yogic cause behind the tīrtha’s emergence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yogic discipline is referenced: nāḍī-nirodha (restraint of vital channels) and entering a deep stillness (Kāṣṭhāvatī).