Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

मेकलाजलसंसेवी मुक्तिमाप्नोति शाश्वतीम्

Transliteration

mekalājalasaṃsevī muktimāpnoti śāśvatīm

Translation

മേകലയുടെ ജലം ഭക്തിയോടെ സേവിക്കുന്നവൻ ശാശ്വത മോക്ഷം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• मेकला-जल-संसेवी: one who resorts to the waters of Mekalā (Narmadā-source)
• मेकला-जल-संसेवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेकला (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + संसेविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद): मेकलायाः जलम्; तस्य संसेवी (one who resorts to)

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु; परस्मैपद)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शाश्वतीम्: eternal
• शाश्वतीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (मुक्तिम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mekalā-jala (Narmadā at Maikala/Amarkantak)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāḥ / general audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Amarakantak: pristine spring-fed waters, forested hills of Mekalā; a solitary pilgrim performs snāna and offers lamp to the nascent river, with a sense of transcendence.

Characters & Entities

• Mekalā
• Narmadā/Revā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with the source-waters of Revā (Mekalā) is portrayed as a direct means toward mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mekalā—commonly identified with the Narmadā’s source region (Amarakantaka/Maikala range).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃsevana (devout resort) to the waters—implying bathing, sipping, and ritual reverence at the source tīrtha.