Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे नृपश्रेष्ठ देवी नारायणी पुरा । अद्यापि तपते घोरं तपो यावत्किलार्बुदम्

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe nṛpaśreṣṭha devī nārāyaṇī purā | adyāpi tapate ghoraṃ tapo yāvatkilārbudam

Translation

ณ ตีรถะนั้น ข้าแต่นฤปศเรษฐ เทวี นารายณีในกาลก่อนบำเพ็ญตบะอันน่ากลัว; และแม้บัดนี้ก็ยังทรงเผากิเลสด้วยตปัสอันแรงกล้า ตราบเท่ากาลยาวนานดุจ “อรฺพุท”

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक)

• तीर्थे: at the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नारायणी: Nārāyaṇī
• नारायणी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवी-विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of time)

• अद्यापि: even today, still
• अद्यापि: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + अपि (अव्यय-द्वय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक + निपात)

• तपते: performs austerity/does penance
• तपते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible, intense
• घोरम्: Karma-qualifier (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तपः-विशेषण/क्रियाविशेषणवत्

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/अवधिवाचक; 'as long as/until')

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; hearsay/emphasis)

• अर्बुदम्: an arbuda (a very large number)
• अर्बुदम्: Karma/Measure (परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (a crore/ten million)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as ‘nṛpaśreṣṭha’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Goddess Nārāyaṇī seated in fierce tapas near the river, surrounded by a ring of fire-like aura; time symbolized by vast cycles (stars, kalpa motifs) indicating ‘arbuda’ duration.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇī Devī
• Tapas
• Karkaṭeśvara tīrtha
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of a place is reinforced by divine presence and long-standing austerity, inviting pilgrims to approach with reverence and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Karkaṭeśvara tīrtha on the Narmadā’s northern bank (Adhyāya 137).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is emphasized; the goddess is presented as the exemplar of sustained spiritual practice at the site.