Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

नर्मदायाः सुतस्तत्र सशल्यो विशलीकृतः । सर्वदेवैश्च ऋषिभिर्विशल्या तेन सा स्मृता

Transliteration

narmadāyāḥ sutastatra saśalyo viśalīkṛtaḥ | sarvadevaiśca ṛṣibhirviśalyā tena sā smṛtā

Translation

وہاں نَرمدا کے پُتر کے بدن میں پیوست شَلیہ (تیر کا پھل) نکال کر اسے ‘بے شَلیہ’ کر دیا گیا۔ اسی لیے تمام دیوتا اور رشی اُس (دیوی/مقام) کو ‘وِشَلیا’ کے نام سے یاد کرتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• नर्मदायाः: of Narmadā
• नर्मदायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• स-शल्यः: with a dart/arrow (embedded)
• स-शल्यः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/‘सह’) + शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (शल्येन सह/शल्ययुक्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सुतः)

• विशलीकृतः: was made dartless; had the dart removed
• विशलीकृतः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शल् (धातु) + कृत (कृ धातोः क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; causative/denominative sense: ‘made free of the dart’

• सर्व-देवैः: by all the gods
• सर्व-देवैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (‘all gods’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• विशल्या: Viśalyā (the dartless one)
• विशल्या: Karta (Subject of स्मृता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper name/epithet)

• तेन: therefore; by that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument: ‘therefore/by that’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Apposition to विशल्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्मृता: was called/known
• स्मृता: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘was called/remembered’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśalyā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the Narmadā bank, a wounded divine/semidivine figure—‘son of Narmadā’—is healed as the embedded arrowhead is removed; devas and sages witness and proclaim the name Viśalyā; the river glows as if medicinal.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Narmadāputra
• Devas
• Ṛṣis
• Viśalyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is celebrated not only for merit but for grace that removes affliction—symbolized by the removal of the śalya (piercing pain/karma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśalyā tīrtha on/near the Narmadā, named after the miraculous ‘removal of the śalya’ connected with Narmadā’s son.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse provides the name-origin (nāma-nirukti) and the healing miracle associated with the site.