Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पिबेज्जलं निराहारः स गच्छन् दक्षिणामुखः । अचिरेणैव कालेन संगतो नर्मदातटम्

Transliteration

pibejjalaṃ nirāhāraḥ sa gacchan dakṣiṇāmukhaḥ | acireṇaiva kālena saṃgato narmadātaṭam

Translation

അവൻ നിരാഹാരനായി ജലം മാത്രം പാനം ചെയ്ത് തെക്കോട്ടു മുഖം തിരിച്ച് നടന്നു; അല്പസമയത്തിനുള്ളിൽ നർമദാതീരത്തെത്തി.

Word by Word

• पिबेत्: should drink/drinks
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निराहारः: without food/fasting
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—आहारः नास्ति यस्य (निर्-उपसर्गेण)

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

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दक्षिणामुखः: facing south
• दक्षिणामुखः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—दक्षिणं मुखं यस्य

• अचिरेण: in a short (time)
• अचिरेण: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; कालवाचक-तृतीया

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कालेन: with time/within time
• कालेन: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक-तृतीया

• संगतः: reached/arrived
• संगतः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, gaunt from fasting, arrives at the broad Narmadā bank; the river glows, with gentle currents; he stands in reverence, ready for rites.

Characters & Entities

• Citrasena
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint (fasting) and single-minded travel toward a sacred river are upheld as purifying disciplines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā-taṭa (bank of the Narmadā) is highlighted as the sacred destination within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nirāhāra (fasting) with water intake—pibej jalam—during the journey.