Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तपः कृत्वा सुविपुलं नर्मदातटमाश्रिता । चचार पृथिवीं सर्वां सशैलवनकाननाम्

Transliteration

tapaḥ kṛtvā suvipulaṃ narmadātaṭamāśritā | cacāra pṛthivīṃ sarvāṃ saśailavanakānanām

Translation

അത്യന്തം വിപുലമായ തപസ്സു ചെയ്ത് നർമദാതീരം ആശ്രയിച്ച്, പർവ്വതങ്ങളും വനങ്ങളും കാനനങ്ങളും ഉൾക്കൊള്ളുന്ന സമസ്ത ഭൂമിയിലും അവൾ സഞ്ചരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object of kṛtvā/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having performed
• kṛtvā: Kriyā (पूर्वक्रिया/absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛtvā (क्त्वान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• suvipulam: very extensive
• suvipulam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su+vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सु-विपुलम् = अतिविपुलम्); तपः-विशेषण

• narmadātaṭam: the bank of the Narmadā
• narmadātaṭam: Karma (Object with āśritā/आश्रय-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā+taṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नर्मदायाः तटः)

• āśritā: having resorted to/dwelling on
• āśritā: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā+śri (धातु) → āśrita (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्तरि; सा-विशेषण

• cacāra: wandered
• cacāra: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु) → cacāra
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• pṛthivīm: the earth
• pṛthivīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• sarvām: entire
• sarvām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; पृथिवीम्-विशेषण

• saśaila-vanakānanām: with mountains, forests, and groves
• saśaila-vanakānanām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa+śaila+vana+kānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (यस्यां शैलाः वनानि काननानि च सन्ति सा) ; पृथिवीम्-विशेषण

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: She performs vast austerities on the Narmadā bank, then roams the whole earth—mountains, forests, and wild groves—sanctifying the landscape through her presence.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Pṛthivī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas and tīrtha-resort together form a purāṇic model of sanctification: inner discipline anchored in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā’s riverbank (Narmadā-taṭa) is highlighted as the seat of austerity that empowers the later tīrtha greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and āśraya (resorting to the riverbank) are implied practices, though no specific vow is detailed.