Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

भिक्षार्थी संचरेद्ग्रामं नावा यत्रैव तिष्ठति । तत्र तेन परा दृष्टा बाला चैव मनोहरा

Transliteration

bhikṣārthī saṃcaredgrāmaṃ nāvā yatraiva tiṣṭhati | tatra tena parā dṛṣṭā bālā caiva manoharā

Translation

เพื่อแสวงทาน เขาเที่ยวไปในหมู่บ้านที่มีเรือลำหนึ่งจอดอยู่ ณ ที่นั้นเอง ที่นั่นเขาได้เห็นหญิงสาวผู้หนึ่ง งามยิ่งและชวนให้ใจหลงใหล

Word by Word

• भिक्षार्थी: a beggar; one seeking alms
• भिक्षार्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भिक्षार्थी = भिक्षायै अर्थी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उद्देश्य-सम्बन्ध)

• संचरेत्: should wander
• संचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ग्रामम्: village
• ग्रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• आवा: boat
• आवा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तिष्ठति: stands; stays
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• परा: excellent; very (beautiful)
• परा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (बाला इत्यस्य)

• दृष्टा: was seen
• दृष्टा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘seen’

• बाला: a girl
• बाला: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• मनोहरा: charming
• मनोहरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (बाला इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator/elder speaker

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra (unspecified crossing/ghāṭa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An alms-seeking ascetic enters a riverside village; a moored ferry-boat rests at the bank; his gaze falls upon a captivating maiden near the boat, setting the story’s tension between renunciation and attraction.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara (implied)
• Boat/ferry setting

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often introduce moments of attraction and testing to highlight vigilance in dharma and the consequences of desire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A river-side village and ferry/boat setting is described as part of the broader tīrtha origin narrative; the exact place-name is not given in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative setup (bhikṣā-wandering and a river-crossing locale).