Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

सप्तकल्पक्षये जाते यदुक्तं शंभुना पुरा । न मृता तेन राजेन्द्र नर्मदा ख्यातिमागता

Transliteration

saptakalpakṣaye jāte yaduktaṃ śaṃbhunā purā | na mṛtā tena rājendra narmadā khyātimāgatā

Translation

ସପ୍ତ କଳ୍ପର କ୍ଷୟ ଘଟିଲା ପରେ ଶମ୍ଭୁ ପୂର୍ବେ ଯାହା କହିଥିଲେ ତାହା ସତ୍ୟ ହେଲା; ତେଣୁ, ହେ ରାଜେନ୍ଦ୍ର! ନର୍ମଦା ମୃତ ହେଲା ନାହିଁ, ମହା ଖ୍ୟାତି ଲାଭ କଲା।

Word by Word

• सप्त-कल्प-क्षये: at the destruction of seven kalpas
• सप्त-कल्प-क्षये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या) + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; (locative singular)

• जाते: when (it) had happened
• जाते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; सप्तमी (7), एकवचन, पुं/नपुंसक; (locative absolute: 'when it had occurred')

• यत्: what, that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; (relative pronoun)

• उक्तम्: said, spoken
• उक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• शंभुना: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुना: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; (instrumental singular)

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• मृता: dead
• मृता: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (nominative singular)

• तेन: therefore; by that
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; (instrumental singular)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; (vocative singular)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (nominative singular)

• ख्यातिम्: fame, renown
• ख्यातिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख्याति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (accusative singular)

• आगता: has attained; has come to
• आगता: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (nominative singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (addressing a king; listener implied by 'rājendra')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau of kalpa-destruction—dark waters and dissolving worlds—yet a luminous ribbon of Narmadā remains, protected by Śambhu’s decree; a king listens in reverent awe.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-glory is portrayed as enduring beyond cosmic cycles; Śiva’s word establishes the river’s imperishable sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā is glorified as an enduring sacred river whose sanctity persists through kalpa-endings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is doctrinal, affirming Narmadā’s timeless holiness rather than prescribing a specific rite.