Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । आश्चर्यभूतं लोकेऽस्मिन्नर्मदायां पुरातनम् । भ्रूणहत्या गता तत्र ब्राह्मणस्य नराधिप

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | āścaryabhūtaṃ loke'sminnarmadāyāṃ purātanam | bhrūṇahatyā gatā tatra brāhmaṇasya narādhipa

Translation

พระศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ข้าแต่พระราชาผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งมนุษย์ ในโลกนี้ ณ ฝั่งแม่น้ำนรมทา มีอัศจรรย์โบราณอยู่; ณ ที่นั้นบาปแห่งการฆ่าทารกในครรภ์ที่ติดแก่พราหมณ์ผู้หนึ่งได้ถูกปลดเปลื้องไป

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + मार्कण्डेय (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आश्चर्यभूतम्: marvellous; wondrous
• आश्चर्यभूतम्: Karma/Predicate (कर्म/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्चर्य + भूत (प्रातिपदिक; भूत = √भू क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘भूत’

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• पुरातनम्: ancient
• पुरातनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• भ्रूणहत्या: the sin of foeticide (killing an embryo)
• भ्रूणहत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रूण + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भ्रूणस्य हत्या)

• गता: went; came
• गता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्/विधेय

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् अधिपः)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as narādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage narrates the ancient marvel of the Narmadā: the river glows as a purifying force, with subtle imagery of sin dissolving like darkness before dawn.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā
• Brāhmaṇa
• Narādhipa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrthas of the Narmadā are portrayed as extraordinarily purifying, capable of dissolving even grave karmic burdens through dharmic approach.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A purifying ancient site on the Narmadā (Revā), introduced here as a marvel; the exact tīrtha is clarified in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not specified in this verse; it introduces an itihāsa about sin-removal associated with Narmadā tīrtha.