Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

मया सह महाभाग नर्मदातटमाश्रिताः । फलमूलकृताहारा अर्चयन्तः स्थिताः शिवम्

Transliteration

mayā saha mahābhāga narmadātaṭamāśritāḥ | phalamūlakṛtāhārā arcayantaḥ sthitāḥ śivam

Translation

اے صاحبِ نصیب، وہ میرے ساتھ نَرمدا کے کنارے پناہ گزیں ہوئے؛ پھل اور جڑیں کھا کر گزارا کرتے ہیں اور وہیں ٹھہر کر شِو کی پوجا میں لگے رہتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• मया: by/with me
• मया: Sahakari (Instrumental/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्गसदृश/particle): with

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् भागः यस्य); सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• नर्मदातटम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नर्मदायाः तटम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आश्रिताः: having taken refuge in / resorting to
• आश्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• फलमूलकृताहाराः: whose food is made of fruits and roots
• फलमूलकृताहाराः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फल + मूल + कृत + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (फलमूलकृतः आहारः येषाम्); बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत् प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अर्चयन्तः: worshipping
• अर्चयन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्थिताः: standing, remaining
• स्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa (general)

Type: riverbank/kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahābhāga / nṛpa (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of leaf-thatched hermitages along the Narmadā; ascetics with jaṭā and kamaṇḍalu gather flowers and bilva leaves; a simple Śiva-liṅga under a tree is worshipped with water from the river; offerings are fruits and roots.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and simple living at a sacred river-bank, joined with devotion to Śiva, is upheld as a powerful dharmic path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā river-bank (Narmadā-taṭa) as a prime setting for tapas and Śiva worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Residing on the Narmadā bank, maintaining a fruits-and-roots diet, and performing regular worship (arcana) of Śiva.