Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

आस्तां पुरा महादैत्यौ चण्डमुण्डौ सुदारुणौ । नर्मदातीरमाश्रित्य चेरतुर्विपुलं तपः

Transliteration

āstāṃ purā mahādaityau caṇḍamuṇḍau sudāruṇau | narmadātīramāśritya ceraturvipulaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

古时有两位强大而凶猛的阿修罗：Caṇḍa与Muṇḍa。他们依止那尔摩陀河岸，修行极其宏大的苦行（tapas）。

Word by Word

• आस्ताम्: there were
• आस्ताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘there were/they existed’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb ‘formerly/once’)

• महादैत्यौ: two great demons
• महादैत्यौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) = महा + दैत्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; समासः—महा (great) + दैत्य (demon)

• चण्डमुण्डौ: Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa
• चण्डमुण्डौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डमुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) = चण्ड + मुण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः—चण्डः च मुण्डः च

• सुदारुणौ: very fierce
• सुदारुणौ: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदारुण (प्रातिपदिक) = सु + दारुण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (महादैत्यौ/चण्डमुण्डौ)

• नर्मदातीरम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (of ‘आश्रित्य’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदातीर (प्रातिपदिक) = नर्मदा + तीर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—नर्मदायाः तीरम्

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge at
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) + ल्यप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (gerund); ‘having resorted to’

• चेरतुः: they practiced/performed
• चेरतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विपुलम्: abundant/great
• विपुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra (Caṇḍāditya context)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two formidable asuras, Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, perform severe austerities on the Narmadā bank—standing in penance, surrounded by heat-haze, river flowing calmly beside them.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍa
• Muṇḍa
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even fierce beings seek power through tapas; the Purāṇas frame austerity as a force that compels divine response.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbank setting introduces the Caṇḍāditya tīrtha legend within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it narrates the background that leads to the tīrtha’s sanctity.