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

Aku akan mengurniakan dua puluh buah kampung—pergilah engkau ke tebing Sungai Narmadā. Urusan pengutusan ini telah aku ikrarkan, kerana didorong oleh seorang yang ditimpa kemalangan.

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).