Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

रेवासेवासमाचारः संयुक्तः शुद्धबुद्धिमान् । दम्भाहङ्काररहितः शुद्ध्यर्थं स विमुच्यते

Transliteration

revāsevāsamācāraḥ saṃyuktaḥ śuddhabuddhimān | dambhāhaṅkārarahitaḥ śuddhyarthaṃ sa vimucyate

Translation

مَن لزم آداب خدمة رِيفا (Revā) بسدادٍ في الفهم وطهارةٍ في العقل، منزَّهًا عن الرياء والكبر، أُعتِقَ لأجل التطهير ونيل الصفاء.

Word by Word

• revāsevāsamācāraḥ: the conduct/practice of serving the Revā
• revāsevāsamācāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: revā (प्रातिपदिक) + sevā (प्रातिपदिक) + samācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/सम्बन्धनिर्देशः (रेवाया: सेवा-समाचारः)

• saṃyuktaḥ: endowed/connected (with discipline)
• saṃyuktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-yuj (धातु) → saṃyukta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण

• śuddhabuddhimān: one whose intellect is pure
• śuddhabuddhimān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi-mant (प्रातिपदिक/मतुप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त, विशेषण

• dambhāhaṅkārarahitaḥ: free from hypocrisy and ego
• dambhāhaṅkārarahitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dambha (प्रातिपदिक) + ahaṅkāra (प्रातिपदिक) + rahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समाहार/द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (दम्भ-अहङ्कारयोः रहितः), विशेषण

• śuddhyartham: for purification
• śuddhyartham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अर्थे (हेतु/प्रयोजन) अव्ययम्

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vimucyate: is released / is freed
• vimucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (Pārtha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble pilgrim on the sandy bank of Revā offers water and flowers, serving other travelers; the river glows as a goddess while the pilgrim’s bowed posture signifies freedom from ego.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-benefit arises from humility and sincerity—service without hypocrisy or ego becomes liberating purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā) herself is praised as the sacred focus of service and purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adopting ‘Revā-sevā’ as disciplined conduct—ethical restraint and devotion—rather than mere outward travel.