Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

चान्द्रायणविधानैश्च कृच्छ्रिणश्चातिकृच्छ्रिणः । एवंविधैस्तपोभिश्च नर्मदातीरशोभितैः

Transliteration

cāndrāyaṇavidhānaiśca kṛcchriṇaścātikṛcchriṇaḥ | evaṃvidhaistapobhiśca narmadātīraśobhitaiḥ

Translation

ചാന്ദ്രായണവിധികൾ, കൃച്ഛ്രവും അതികൃച്ഛ്രവും ആയ പ്രായശ്ചിത്തങ്ങൾ, ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള അനേകം തപസ്സുകൾ എന്നിവകൊണ്ട് നർമദാതീരങ്ങൾ ശോഭിതമായി.

Word by Word

• चान्द्रायणविधानैः: by the rules of the Cāndrāyaṇa (vow)
• चान्द्रायणविधानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चान्द्रायण + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — Conjunction (and)

• कृच्छ्रिणः: performers of the Kṛcchra penance
• कृच्छ्रिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — Conjunction (and)

• अतिकृच्छ्रिणः: performers of the Atikṛcchra penance
• अतिकृच्छ्रिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + कृच्छ्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एवंविधैः: of such kinds
• एवंविधैः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural (तपोभिः इति विशेषण)

• तपोभिः: by austerities
• तपोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — Conjunction (and)

• नर्मदातीरशोभितैः: adorned by the banks of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरशोभितैः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नर्मदा + तीर + शोभित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Instrumental, Plural (तपोभिः इति विशेषण)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long stretch of Narmadā ghāṭas dotted with ascetics performing measured penances: moon-cycle fasting (cāndrāyaṇa) indicated by lunar disc motifs, and kṛcchra practitioners with sparse meals; the riverbank appears ‘ornamented’ by their presence.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Cāndrāyaṇa
• Kṛcchra
• Atikṛcchra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is shown through disciplined living—purificatory vows and penances sustain sacredness in the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā tīra (banks of the Revā), famed as a center for vows and expiatory disciplines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cāndrāyaṇa, Kṛcchra, and Atikṛcchra—classical vrata/prāyaścitta observances.