Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

लब्धं शक्रेण नृपते नर्मदातीर्थभावतः । ततः पुण्यतमं तीर्थं संजातं वसुधातले

Transliteration

labdhaṃ śakreṇa nṛpate narmadātīrthabhāvataḥ | tataḥ puṇyatamaṃ tīrthaṃ saṃjātaṃ vasudhātale

Translation

Hỡi đức vua, Śakra đạt được điều ấy nhờ oai lực thanh tịnh của thánh địa Narmadā. Vì vậy, nơi ấy trở thành tīrtha công đức bậc nhất trên mặt đất.

Word by Word

• लब्धम्: was obtained
• लब्धम्: क्रिया (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘was obtained’

• शक्रेण: by Śakra
• शक्रेण: कर्ता (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• नृपते: O king
• नृपते: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• नर्मदा-तीर्थ-भावतः: due to the nature of (being) a Narmadā-tīrtha
• नर्मदा-तीर्थ-भावतः: हेतु (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित; तसिल्)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘because of/from the state of…’); ‘नर्मदातीर्थस्य भावः’ + तः

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon/therefrom)

• पुण्यतमम्: most holy
• पुण्यतमम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (superlative)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थस्य)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• संजातम्: arose / came to be
• संजातम्: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु) → संजात (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘arose/came into being’

• वसुधा-तले: on the surface of the earth
• वसुधा-तले: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘वसुधायाः तले’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śakratīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wide view of the Narmadā with a radiant focal point marking Śakratīrtha; celestial light descends; pilgrims bathe; a subtle vignette of Indra receiving boons appears in the sky or as a side panel, indicating the cause of the tīrtha’s supremacy.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Narmadā
• Śakratīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s holiness is validated by transformative divine events; Narmadā’s sanctity empowers extraordinary spiritual outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śakratīrtha, elevated as supremely meritorious due to its Narmadā-tīrtha potency and Indra’s attainment there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse explains the site’s sanctifying cause—Narmadā tīrtha-bhāva.