Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सप्तकल्पानुगो विप्रो नर्मदायां मुनीश्वराः । मृकण्डतनयो धीमान्परमार्थविदुत्तमः

Transliteration

saptakalpānugo vipro narmadāyāṃ munīśvarāḥ | mṛkaṇḍatanayo dhīmānparamārthaviduttamaḥ

Translation

ହେ ମୁନୀଶ୍ୱରମାନେ! ନର୍ମଦାତଟରେ ଜଣେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଥିଲେ, ଯିଏ ସାତ କଳ୍ପ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଅବିଚଳ ରହିଥିଲେ—ମୃକଣ୍ଡୁଙ୍କ ପୁତ୍ର, ଧୀମାନ, ଏବଂ ପରମାର୍ଥବିଦମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ।

Word by Word

• सप्त-कल्प-अनुगः: one who continues through seven kalpas
• सप्त-कल्प-अनुगः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘सप्तकल्पान् अनुगच्छति/अनुगः’ (following through seven kalpas); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नर्मदायाम्: in/on the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मुनीश्वराः: sage-lords, great sages
• मुनीश्वराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ‘मुनय एव ईश्वराः’ (lords among sages); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मृकण्ड-तनयः: son of Mṛkaṇḍa
• मृकण्ड-तनयः: Apposition (Same referent/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृकण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘मृकण्डस्य तनयः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धीमान्: wise, intelligent
• धीमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• परम-अर्थ-विद्-उत्तमः: the best knower of the highest truth
• परम-अर्थ-विद्-उत्तमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘परमार्थं वेत्ति’ (knower of highest truth) + ‘उत्तम’ (best); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Vāyu (addressing ṛṣis within the narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munīśvarāḥ / Viprāḥ (assembled sages/brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable sage (Mārkaṇḍeya) seated by the Narmadā, radiant with austerity; the river flows beside his hermitage, suggesting timeless continuity across kalpas.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Mṛkaṇḍa
• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Narmadā tradition is anchored in ancient, realized sages; true sacred geography is transmitted by those established in paramārtha (highest truth).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā river-region broadly, as the long-standing seat of Mārkaṇḍeya’s spiritual presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse establishes the authority (pramāṇa) of the speaker-sage connected with Narmadā.