Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

दास्यामि विंशतिग्रामान्गच्छ त्वं नर्मदातटे । प्रेषणं मे प्रतिज्ञातमलक्ष्म्या पीडितेन तु

Transliteration

dāsyāmi viṃśatigrāmāngaccha tvaṃ narmadātaṭe | preṣaṇaṃ me pratijñātamalakṣmyā pīḍitena tu

Translation

ഞാൻ ഇരുപത് ഗ്രാമങ്ങൾ നൽകാം—നീ നർമദാ തീരത്തേക്ക് പോകുക. ദുരഭാഗ്യത്താൽ പീഡിതനായ ഞാൻ ഈ ദൗത്യം പ്രതിജ്ഞയായി ഏറ്റെടുത്തതാണ്.

Word by Word

• दास्यामि: I will give
• दास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विंशति-ग्रामान्: twenty villages
• विंशति-ग्रामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (विंशतिः ग्रामाः)

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नर्मदा-तटे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• प्रेषणम्: the sending/dispatch
• प्रेषणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• प्रतिज्ञातम्: promised
• प्रतिज्ञातम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'प्रेषणम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अलक्ष्म्या: by misfortune/ill-luck
• अलक्ष्म्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पीडितेन: by (me) afflicted
• पीडितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्तरि/भावे—'मया' इत्यर्थे (by one afflicted)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

Speaker

Nṛpa (the king) (deduced from offering of villages and issuing the command)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ruler or patron promises a grant of twenty villages to dispatch an envoy to the Narmadā bank; the vow is framed as compelled by misfortune yet expressed with firm resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kingship is shown as dharma-centered: supporting sacred tasks through dāna and decisive action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbank tīrtha setting is explicitly invoked.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pledged commission (preṣaṇa) tied to a Narmadā visit, accompanied by dāna (grant of villages).