Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

चक्रं विभीषणं मर्त्ये ज्वालामालासमन्वितम् । पतितं नर्मदातोये जलशायिसमीपतः

Transliteration

cakraṃ vibhīṣaṇaṃ martye jvālāmālāsamanvitam | patitaṃ narmadātoye jalaśāyisamīpataḥ

Translation

ആ ചക്രം—മർത്ത്യലോകത്തിൽ ഭയങ്കരം, ജ്വാലാമാലയാൽ അലങ്കൃതം—ജലശായീ ഭഗവാന്റെ സമീപത്ത് നർമദാജലത്തിൽ പതിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• चक्रम्: discus; wheel
• चक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular)

• विभीषणम्: terrifying; dreadful
• विभीषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• मर्त्ये: in the mortal world
• मर्त्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• ज्वालामाला-समन्वितम्: endowed with a garland of flames
• ज्वालामाला-समन्वितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त; सम्+अन्वि/अन्वि धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) अर्थे ‘युक्त/समेत’ (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; past participial adjective)

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; ‘fallen’)

• नर्मदा-तोये: in the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• जलशायि-समीपतः: from near (the) Jalashāyī
• जलशायि-समीपतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जलशायिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘समीपतः’ = ‘from/near’ (Indeclinable adverbial)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta/Skanda framework within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha (near Jalaśāyī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (māhīpati / nṛpanandana / Bhārata addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing discus wreathed in flames arcs down from the sky and plunges into the dark-green Narmadā near a serene Viṣṇu (Jalaśāyī) presence; water erupts in luminous spray, riverbanks lined with sages and trees.

Characters & Entities

• Cakra (Sudarśana)
• Narmadā
• Jalaśāyī (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even fearsome divine power becomes auspicious when connected with a tīrtha; sacred waters transform and consecrate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Narmadā tīrtha associated with “Jalaśāyī” (the Water-Reclining Viṣṇu) is indicated as a sanctified locality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse functions as a site-marker within the Māhātmya, suggesting pilgrimage and remembrance.