Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

श्रेष्ठं दारुवनं तत्र चरुकासंगमः शुभः । उत्तरे नर्मदायास्तु चरुकेश्वरमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

śreṣṭhaṃ dāruvanaṃ tatra carukāsaṃgamaḥ śubhaḥ | uttare narmadāyāstu carukeśvaramuttamam

Translation

ସେଠାରେ ପରମ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଦାରୁବନ ଅଛି ଏବଂ ‘ଚରୁକା-ସଙ୍ଗମ’ ନାମକ ଶୁଭ ସଙ୍ଗମ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଛି। ନର୍ମଦାର ଉତ୍ତର ତଟରେ ପରମୋତ୍ତମ ‘ଚରୁକେଶ୍ୱର’ ଧାମ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ।

Word by Word

• śreṣṭham: excellent, best
• śreṣṭham: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'dāruvanam')

• dāruvanam: Dāruvana (forest/place-name)
• dāruvanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāruvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• carukā-saṃgamaḥ: the confluence of Carukā
• carukā-saṃgamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carukā (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (carukāyāḥ saṃgamaḥ)

• śubhaḥ: auspicious
• śubhaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'saṃgamaḥ')

• uttare: on the northern (side)
• uttare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied 'deśe/kūle')

• narmadāyāḥ: of the Narmadā
• narmadāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle: emphasis/contrast)

• carukeśvaram: Carukeśvara (lord/deity/place)
• carukeśvaram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caruka (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (carukasya īśvaraḥ) नाम (place/deity)

• uttamam: supreme, excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'carukeśvaram')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha-catalog style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Carukā-saṅgama; Carukeśvara; Dārūvana (as tīrtha-forest)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous confluence where a smaller river (Carukā) meets the broad Revā; dense sacred forest (Dārūvana) nearby; on the north bank a Śiva shrine with a prominent liṅga, pilgrims arriving with water pots and flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Dāruvana
• Carukā-saṅgama
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Carukeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy geography is presented as a direct support for dharma: approaching sacred forests, confluences, and Śiva-lingas cultivates auspiciousness and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daruvana, Carukā-saṅgama, and Carukeśvara on the northern bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse primarily identifies and praises the tīrthas and the Śiva shrine.