Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

विश्रम्य च पुनर्गच्छेद्भाराक्रान्तो महीपतिः । सचैलं कुरुते स्नानं मुक्त्वास्थीनि पदे पदे

Transliteration

viśramya ca punargacchedbhārākrānto mahīpatiḥ | sacailaṃ kurute snānaṃ muktvāsthīni pade pade

Translation

休んではまた進み、苦行と労苦の重みに押されつつ王は歩み続けた。衣をまとったまま浄めの沐浴を行い、歩むたびに遺骨を一つ一つ落としていった。

Word by Word

• विश्रम्य: having rested
• विश्रम्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-श्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb)

• गच्छेत्: would go/then goes
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; छन्दसि/कथनप्रवाहे विधिलिङ्-प्रयोगः

• भाराक्रान्तः: overburdened by the load
• भाराक्रान्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भार + आक्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—भारेण आक्रान्तः

• महीपतिः: the king
• महीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सचैलम्: with clothes on (not removing garments)
• सचैलम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स + चैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणम्

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुक्त्वा: having released/dropped
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive)

• अस्थीनि: bones
• अस्थीनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पदे: at (each) step/place
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त्या ‘पदे पदे’

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (distributive)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (goal implied)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, exhausted, pauses at small water sources to bathe without removing garments; he continues walking, occasionally letting small portions of bone-remains fall/are placed reverently along the path.

Characters & Entities

• Citrasena
• Narmadā (implied by section context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is portrayed as tapas—endurance, purity, and steadfast movement toward a sacred goal even amid bodily hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Revā Khaṇḍa pilgrimage setting leading toward the Narmadā-region tīrthas (the Śūlabheda route is developed in the surrounding verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), explicitly performed even while clothed (sa-caila-snānā).