Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यांवा चतुर्दश्यां निराहारो वसेत्तु यः । नर्मदेश्वरमासाद्य प्राप्नुयाज्जन्मनः फलम्

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃvā caturdaśyāṃ nirāhāro vasettu yaḥ | narmadeśvaramāsādya prāpnuyājjanmanaḥ phalam

Translation

Sesiapa yang tinggal di sana sambil berpuasa pada tithi kelapan atau keempat belas, lalu mendekati Narmadeśvara untuk darśana, dia memperoleh buah sejati kelahiran sebagai manusia.

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (तिथिवाचक)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (lunar day)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (तिथिवाचक)

• निराहारः: fasting
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (without food/fasting)

• वसेत्: should stay/dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• नर्मदेश्वरम्: Narmadeśvara (Lord of Narmadā)
• नर्मदेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः ईश्वरः)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having reached/approached’

• प्राप्नुयात्: would attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जन्मनः: of (his) birth/life
• जन्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit (result)
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadeśvara-tīrtha (Revā bank)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, lean from fasting, stands before a Śiva-liṅga titled Narmadeśvara near the Narmadā; lamps flicker; offerings are minimal—bilva leaves, water, and a single flower; the moon phase suggests Aṣṭamī or Caturdaśī night.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life reaches its intended fulfillment through disciplined devotion—fasting and pilgrimage—directed toward Śiva at a sacred tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadeśvara on the Narmadā riverbank, within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) and tīrtha-vāsa (staying at the holy place) on aṣṭamī or caturdaśī tithis, culminating in darśana of Narmadeśvara.