Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

नारदोऽपि महादेवमुपेत्य च सतीपतिम् । प्राह कृष्णाजिनधरो नैष्ठिका ब्राह्मणा ह्यमी

Transliteration

nārado'pi mahādevamupetya ca satīpatim | prāha kṛṣṇājinadharo naiṣṭhikā brāhmaṇā hyamī

Translation

നാരദനും സതീപതി മഹാദേവനെ സമീപിച്ച്, കൃഷ്ണാജിനം ധരിച്ച് പറഞ്ഞു—“ഇവർ ബ്രാഹ്മണർ നിശ്ചയമായും നൈഷ്ഠികർ; ജീവിതവ്രതത്തിൽ ദൃഢർ।”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् देवः)

• उपेत्य: having approached
• उपेत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप + इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सतीपतिम्: the husband of Satī
• सतीपतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सत्याः पतिः)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कृष्णाजिनधरः: wearing a black antelope-skin
• कृष्णाजिनधरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ajina (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त, धृ-धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (कृष्णाजिनं धरति)

• नैष्ठिकाः: steadfast; devoted (to a vow)
• नैष्ठिकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naiṣṭhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतु-प्रदर्शक (indeed/for)

• अमी: these
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amī (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada approaches Mahādeva respectfully, holding a vīṇā, wearing a kṛṣṇājina (black antelope-skin), and speaks about the naiṣṭhika brāhmaṇas; surrounding devas and ṛṣis listen.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śiva (Mahādeva, Satīpati)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual credibility is affirmed by recognized sages (like Nārada) and by visible commitment to enduring vows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revākhaṇḍa milieu is implied; this verse spotlights the characterization of the vow-keepers rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse identifies the group as naiṣṭhika (lifelong-vowed).