Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

भ्रमन्ति तावन्नरकेषु मर्त्या दुःखातुराः पापपरीतदेहाः । महानिलोद्भूततरङ्गभङ्गं यावत्तवाम्भो न हि संश्रयन्ति

Transliteration

bhramanti tāvannarakeṣu martyā duḥkhāturāḥ pāpaparītadehāḥ | mahānilodbhūtataraṅgabhaṅgaṃ yāvattavāmbho na hi saṃśrayanti

Translation

പാപം മൂടിയ ദേഹങ്ങളോടെ ദുഃഖാതുരരായ മർത്ത്യർ നിന്റെ ജലത്തിൽ ശരണം പ്രാപിക്കാത്തിടത്തോളം നരകങ്ങളിൽ അലഞ്ഞുതിരിയും; മഹാവായുവാൽ ഉയരുന്ന തരംഗഭംഗങ്ങളുള്ള നിന്റെ പുണ്യജലമേ അവരുടെ ആശ്രയം।

Word by Word

• भ्रमन्ति: they wander/roam
• भ्रमन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातु: भ्रम्

• तावत्: so long; until then
• तावत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/परिमाणवाचक)

• नरकेषु: in hells
• नरकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• दुःखातुराः: afflicted by sorrow
• दुःखातुराः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख-आतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुःखेन आतुराः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (मर्त्याः)

• पापपरीतदेहाः: whose bodies are enveloped by sin
• पापपरीतदेहाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-परित-देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पापेन परीताः देहाः यस्य/ये); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (मर्त्याः)

• महानिलोद्भूततरङ्गभङ्गम्: the breaking of waves raised by a great wind
• महानिलोद्भूततरङ्गभङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-अनिल-उद्भूत-तरङ्ग-भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; (अम्भः) विशेषणभावेन

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Limit-marker/पर्यन्तसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (यावत् = यावद्-पर्यन्तम्, सीमा/पर्यन्तवाचक)

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अम्भः: water
• अम्भः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• संश्रयन्ति: they take refuge in
• संश्रयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातु: श्रि, उपसर्ग: सम्

Speaker

Devotees/pilgrims (didactic stuti within Revā-māhātmya context; exact speaker not specified in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sinners burdened by dark stains wander in a bleak hellscape; in the distance the luminous Revā surges, wind-driven waves breaking like silver crests; a devotee turns toward the river in surrender.

Characters & Entities

• Revā/Narmadā
• Naraka (hell realms)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without refuge in sanctifying sacred geography, karmic suffering continues; turning to the tīrtha is portrayed as a saving spiritual shelter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) waters, explicitly as an āśraya (refuge) against karmic downfall.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seeking refuge in the waters is emphasized, implying pilgrimage, bathing, and sustained devotion at the river.