Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ततः स्वस्थानमगमद्यत्र देवो महेश्वरः । नर्मदातीरमाश्रित्यावसन्मातृगणैः सह

Transliteration

tataḥ svasthānamagamadyatra devo maheśvaraḥ | narmadātīramāśrityāvasanmātṛgaṇaiḥ saha

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം അവൾ തന്റെ നിശ്ചിതസ്ഥാനത്തേക്ക് പോയി; അവിടെ ദേവൻ മഹേശ്വരൻ വസിക്കുന്നു. നർമദാതീരം ആശ്രയിച്ച് മാതൃഗണങ്ങളോടൊപ്പം അവിടെ പാർത്തു।

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-आर्थक क्रियाविशेषणम् (ablative adverb: ‘then/thereafter’)

• स्वस्थानम्: his own abode/place
• स्वस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)—“स्वस्य स्थानम्”

• अगमत्: went
• अगमत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative locative adverb: ‘where’)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृपदम्

• महेश्वरः: Mahēśvara (the Great Lord, Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः; देवः इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन्

• नर्मदातीरम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)—“नर्मदायाः तीरम्”

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• अवसत्: dwelt/stayed
• अवसत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मातृगणैः: with the host of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृगणैः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः—“मातॄणां गणैः” (instrumental of accompaniment)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपसर्ग/निपात (postposition ‘with’), तृतीया-विभक्तिसहयोगी

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Revā Khaṇḍa narration—likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra Maheśvara-sthāna (Revā-khaṇḍa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After cosmic frenzy, Devī moves toward a serene riverbank; Maheśvara’s presence is felt as a calm liṅga/temple silhouette; Mātṛkās gather around Devī like a protective circle; the Narmadā flows luminous under moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Narmadā
• Mātṛgaṇa (Mother-goddess hosts)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even terrifying divine powers become harmonized when established near Śiva and a sacred river; sanctity is grounded in Śiva’s presence and tīrtha geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā-tīra (bank of the Narmadā) in the Amaraṃkaṭa region, presented as a residence of Maheśvara and the Mātṛkās.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse identifies the sacred setting (Śiva’s abode by the Narmadā) that later supports tīrtha practices like snāna and darśana.