Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

शन्नो देवीति कूलस्थो जपेन्मुच्येत किल्बिषैः

Transliteration

śanno devīti kūlastho japenmucyeta kilbiṣaiḥ

Translation

നദീതീരത്ത് നിന്നുകൊണ്ട് ‘ശം നോ ദേവീ…’ എന്ന് ആരംഭിക്കുന്ന മന്ത്രം ജപിക്കണം; അങ്ങനെ ചെയ്താൽ പാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് മോചനം ലഭിക്കും।

Word by Word

• शन्: auspiciously/for welfare
• शन्: Mantra particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शम् (धातु)
• Form: वैदिक-अव्यय/निपात; मन्त्रपद (benedictive particle)

• नः: for us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; 'our' (enclitic)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta/Address (Subject/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मन्त्रे सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयुज्यते

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक (quotative)

• कूलस्थः: one standing on the riverbank
• कूलस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — 'कूले स्थितः'

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मुच्येत: would be freed
• मुच्येत: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (passive sense: 'be released')

• किल्बिषैः: from sins
• किल्बिषैः: Apadana (Ablative sense via instr./अपादानार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; अपादान/हेत्वर्थे (from sins)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kūla-japa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands on the riverbank with joined palms, facing the flowing Revā; the air carries the mantra ‘śaṃ no devī…’ as luminous syllables; dark smoke-like ‘sins’ dissolve into the river’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Goddess)
• Revā/Narmadā (implied by section)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious mantra-japa performed with reverence at a tīrtha purifies wrongdoing and restores spiritual clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The river-bank of Revā/Narmadā within the Revākhaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of the mantra beginning “śaṃ no devī…” while staying on the river-bank.