Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

माण्डव्यो नर्मदातीरे काष्ठवत्संजितेन्द्रियः । लीनो माहेश्वरे स्थाने नारायणपदे परे

Transliteration

māṇḍavyo narmadātīre kāṣṭhavatsaṃjitendriyaḥ | līno māheśvare sthāne nārāyaṇapade pare

Translation

നർമദാതീരത്ത് മാണ്ഡവ്യ മുനി കട്ടികഷ്ഠംപോലെ ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളെ നിയന്ത്രിച്ച്, മാഹേശ്വരസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ ലീനനായി—നാരായണന്റെ പരമപദത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതനായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• माण्डव्यः: Māṇḍavya
• माण्डव्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• नर्मदातीरे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तीरम्)

• काष्ठवत्: like a log (motionless)
• काष्ठवत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: काष्ठ + वत् (अव्ययप्राय-तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमार्थक (like/as)

• संजीतेन्द्रियः: with controlled senses
• संजीतेन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं + जित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (संजीतानि/जितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य)

• लीनः: absorbed, merged
• लीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ली (धातु) → लीन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• माहेश्वरे: in the Maheśvara (Śiva-related)
• माहेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थाने’ इति विशेषणम्

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नारायणपदे: in the abode of Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणपदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नारायणस्य पदम्/स्थानम्)

• परे: supreme
• परे: Adhikarana (Qualifier of location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पदे’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa; specific speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māheśvara-sthāna on Revā associated with Māṇḍavya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the Narmadā bank, sage Māṇḍavya sits motionless like wood, senses withdrawn; behind him a subtle Śiva-linga aura of Maheśvara-sthāna, above him a serene Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa radiance indicating the supreme abode.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Narmadā
• Maheśvara
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True holiness is shown through sense-control and absorption in the Divine; sacred places amplify such tapas and steady the mind toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Maheśvara-sthāna on the Narmadā’s bank—within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s praise of Narmadā-region sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, tapas and indriya-nigraha (sense restraint) as a yogic discipline; no explicit external ritual is stated.