Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

उत्तरे जाह्नवीदेशे महापातकनाशिनी । भवामि दक्षिणे मार्गे यद्येवं सुरपूजिता

Transliteration

uttare jāhnavīdeśe mahāpātakanāśinī | bhavāmi dakṣiṇe mārge yadyevaṃ surapūjitā

Translation

في ديار جَاهْنَفِي (الغانغا) في الشمال تُشتهر بأنها مُهلكةُ الكبائر؛ فهكذا أيضًا، لعلّي أصير كذلك في الطريق الجنوبي، إن كانت الآلهة تعبدني على هذا النحو.

Word by Word

• उत्तरे: in the northern (part)
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (देशे)

• जाह्नवीदेशे: in the land of Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नवीदेशे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी-देश (प्रातिपदिक; जाह्नवी + देश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महापातकनाशिनी: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक-नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पातक + नाशिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अहं/नदी)

• भवामि: I become / I am
• भवामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/वर्तमान), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दक्षिणे: in the southern (part)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (मार्गे)

• मार्गे: on the path/route
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• एवं: thus/in this way
• एवं: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवं (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सुरपूजिता: worshipped by gods
• सुरपूजिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर-पूजित (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + पूजित)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अहं/नदी)

Speaker

Sarid (the River-goddess; Revā/Narmadā in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā as 'mahāpātaka-nāśinī' (by analogy to Jāhnavī)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic map-like tableau: to the north, Gaṅgā personified with हिमालय backdrop; to the south/central route, Revā personified; devas offer flowers to Revā, indicating 'surapūjitā' and her aspiration to be known as a great-sin destroyer like Gaṅgā.

Characters & Entities

• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and liberation are not confined to one geography; divine grace can establish equivalent sanctity in another sacred landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā is positioned as the southern counterpart to Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit worship (pūjā) by devas and devotees that establishes and maintains tīrtha-mahima.