Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

लब्धं शक्रेण नृपते नर्मदातीर्थभावतः । ततः पुण्यतमं तीर्थं संजातं वसुधातले

Transliteration

labdhaṃ śakreṇa nṛpate narmadātīrthabhāvataḥ | tataḥ puṇyatamaṃ tīrthaṃ saṃjātaṃ vasudhātale

Translation

ହେ ନୃପତେ! ନର୍ମଦା-ତୀର୍ଥର ପବିତ୍ର ପ୍ରଭାବରୁ ଶକ୍ର ଏହା ସବୁ ଲାଭ କଲେ; ତେଣୁ ପୃଥିବୀତଳେ ସେ ସ୍ଥାନ ପରମ ପୁଣ୍ୟ ତୀର୍ଥ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• लब्धम्: was obtained
• लब्धम्: क्रिया (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘was obtained’

• शक्रेण: by Śakra
• शक्रेण: कर्ता (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• नृपते: O king
• नृपते: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• नर्मदा-तीर्थ-भावतः: due to the nature of (being) a Narmadā-tīrtha
• नर्मदा-तीर्थ-भावतः: हेतु (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित; तसिल्)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘because of/from the state of…’); ‘नर्मदातीर्थस्य भावः’ + तः

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon/therefrom)

• पुण्यतमम्: most holy
• पुण्यतमम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (superlative)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थस्य)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• संजातम्: arose / came to be
• संजातम्: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु) → संजात (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘arose/came into being’

• वसुधा-तले: on the surface of the earth
• वसुधा-तले: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘वसुधायाः तले’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śakratīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wide view of the Narmadā with a radiant focal point marking Śakratīrtha; celestial light descends; pilgrims bathe; a subtle vignette of Indra receiving boons appears in the sky or as a side panel, indicating the cause of the tīrtha’s supremacy.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Narmadā
• Śakratīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s holiness is validated by transformative divine events; Narmadā’s sanctity empowers extraordinary spiritual outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śakratīrtha, elevated as supremely meritorious due to its Narmadā-tīrtha potency and Indra’s attainment there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse explains the site’s sanctifying cause—Narmadā tīrtha-bhāva.