Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । पुरा दाक्षायणी नाम सहिता शूलपाणिना । क्रीडित्वा नर्मदातोये परया च मुदा नृप

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | purā dākṣāyaṇī nāma sahitā śūlapāṇinā | krīḍitvā narmadātoye parayā ca mudā nṛpa

Translation

ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਮਾਰਕੰਡੇਯ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਹੇ ਰਾਜਨ! ਪੁਰਾਤਨ ਸਮੇਂ ਦਾਖ਼ਸਾਯਣੀ ਨਾਮ ਦੀ ਦੇਵੀ, ਸ਼ੂਲਪਾਣੀ (ਸ਼ਿਵ) ਦੇ ਨਾਲ, ਨਰਮਦਾ ਦੇ ਜਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਰਮ ਆਨੰਦ ਨਾਲ ਕ੍ਰੀੜਾ ਕਰਦੀ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘श्री’ उपपदपूर्वकः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• दाक्षायणी: Dākṣāyaṇī (Satī)
• दाक्षायणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Visheshana (Appositive/विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: संज्ञासूचक-अव्यय (indeclinable indicating name)

• सहिता: accompanied
• सहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त ‘सह’ + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘दाक्षायणी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शूलपाणिना: with Śūlapāṇi (Śiva)
• शूलपाणिना: Sahakaraka (Instrument/Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलपाणि (प्रातिपदिक; शूल + पाणि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• क्रीडित्वा: having played/sported
• क्रीडित्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• नर्मदातोये: in the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-तोय (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + तोय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• परया: with great/supreme
• परया: Hetu/Instrument (Means/हेतु-तृतीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘मुदा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Hetu/Instrument (Means/हेतु-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Śūlapāṇi) and Dākṣāyaṇī (Umā) joyfully sporting in the Narmadā, surrounded by shimmering waters; a devotional yet intimate divine tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Dākṣāyaṇī
• Śūlapāṇi (Śiva)
• Narmadā
• Nṛpa (Yudhiṣṭhira)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are sanctified by divine presence; the river becomes a living sacred space through Śiva and Devī’s līlā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) waters in the Viśalyā/Amareśvara narrative zone, framed as a divine playground of Śiva and Devī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse begins the origin-story that grounds later tīrtha practices like snāna and dāna.