Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

मार्गेण तस्य संजातं जाह्नव्याः स्रोत उत्तमम् । निर्धूतकल्मषः सर्पः संजातो नर्मदाजले

Transliteration

mārgeṇa tasya saṃjātaṃ jāhnavyāḥ srota uttamam | nirdhūtakalmaṣaḥ sarpaḥ saṃjāto narmadājale

Translation

त्याच्या मार्गाने जाह्नवी (गंगे)चा उत्तम प्रवाह प्रकट झाला. आणि नर्मदेच्या जलात तो सर्प कल्मष धुऊन पापमुक्त झाला.

Word by Word

• मार्गेण: by the path/way
• मार्गेण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संजातम्: arose/was produced
• संजातम्: Karta (Subject as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-जन् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• जाह्नव्याः: of the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्रोतः: stream/current
• स्रोतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निर्धूतकल्मषः: whose sin/impurity is washed off
• निर्धूतकल्मषः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्धूत + कल्मष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कल्मषं निर्धूतम् यस्य (बहुव्रीहि-भावार्थः), रूपतः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासप्राय

• सर्पः: the serpent
• सर्पः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संजातः: became/arose
• संजातः: Karta (Subject as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-जन् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• नर्मदाजले: in the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदाजले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नर्मदायाः जले (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā with Jāhnavī-srotaḥ manifestation (mythic)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within Narmadā’s waters, a luminous ‘Gaṅgā-current’ appears like a bright ribbon; Vāsuki emerges cleansed, his scales gleaming, the river shimmering with sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• Narmadā
• Vāsuki (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy rivers are portrayed as living purifiers; contact with their waters removes impurities and restores spiritual auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā’s sanctifying waters, with a legendary linkage to the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā) current.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse emphasizes purification through association with sacred waters.