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

ಒಂಬತ್ತು ನಾಡಿಗಳ ನಿಯಂತ್ರಣದಿಂದಲೂ ಕಾಷ್ಠಾವತೀ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಗೆ ಪ್ರವೇಶದಿಂದಲೂ, ಹೇ ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರ, ನಾರದರು ಪಶುಭರ್ತಾ—ಸರ್ವ ಜೀವಿಗಳ ಪಾಲಕನಾದ ಪ್ರಭುವನ್ನು—ತೃಪ್ತಿಪಡಿಸಿದರು.

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).