Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

स च रूपं परं प्राप्य मातापित्रोरनुज्ञया । तपश्चचार विपुलं नर्मदातटमाश्रितः

Transliteration

sa ca rūpaṃ paraṃ prāpya mātāpitroranujñayā | tapaścacāra vipulaṃ narmadātaṭamāśritaḥ

Translation

മാതാപിതാക്കളുടെ അനുവാദത്തോടെ അവൻ അത്യുത്തമ സൗന്ദര്യം പ്രാപിച്ചു; നർമദാതീരം ആശ്രയിച്ച് മഹത്തായ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• रूपम्: form; beauty
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme; excellent
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; ‘having obtained’

• मातापित्रोः: of (his) mother and father
• मातापित्रोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (माता च पिता च); षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Genitive dual)

• अनुज्ञया: with permission
• अनुज्ञया: Karana (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चचार: practised; performed
• चचार: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विपुलम्: abundant; great
• विपुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नर्मदातटम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नर्मदायाः तटम्)

• आश्रितः: having taken refuge in; residing on
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ√श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘having resorted to/dwelling at’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) taṭa

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kuṇḍa, radiant yet austere, stands/sits on the Narmadā bank beneath sparse trees; parents in the background grant permission; the river flows with sacred glow.

Characters & Entities

• Kuṇḍa
• Narmadā (Revā)
• parents (mātā-pitṛ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Choosing a sacred landscape (tīrtha-vāsa) and practicing tapas with elders’ blessing supports dharmic spiritual ascent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) riverbank is highlighted as the sanctified setting for austerities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and tīrtha-residence are implied; no specific mantra or donation is stated.