Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

स तु तां चकमे कन्यां त्यक्त्वाऽन्यं प्रमदाजनम् । मुदा परमया युक्तो माहिष्मत्याः पतिर्नृप

Transliteration

sa tu tāṃ cakame kanyāṃ tyaktvā'nyaṃ pramadājanam | mudā paramayā yukto māhiṣmatyāḥ patirnṛpa

Translation

พระราชาเจ้าแห่งมาหิษมตีทรงหลงรักกุมารีนั้น ทรงละสตรีอื่นทั้งปวง และทรงเปี่ยมด้วยปีติอันยิ่งใหญ่

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• चकमे: desired/loved
• चकमे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (आत्मनेपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कन्याम्: the maiden
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive) — ‘having abandoned’

• अन्यम्: another
• अन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रमदाजनम्)

• प्रमदाजनम्: a group of women/people of women
• प्रमदाजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमदा (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण/हेतु-अर्थे (instrumental: ‘with/through joy’)

• परमया: supreme/great
• परमया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मुदा)

• युक्तः: endowed (with)
• युक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘युक्त’ = endowed/connected

• माहिष्मत्याः: of Māhiṣmatī
• माहिष्मत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहिष्मती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• पतिः: lord/husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māhiṣmatī-Revā tīra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king of Māhiṣmatī turns away from other court women, focusing solely on Narmadā as maiden; the court reacts with surprise while the river’s aura subtly fills the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Māhiṣmatī
• Duryodhana
• Narmadā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment and choice in royal life become narrative instruments through which Purāṇas unfold deeper dharmic and tīrtha-related teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māhiṣmatī is mentioned as the king’s city; the Revā/Narmadā sphere remains the sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the king’s preference and emotional state.