Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

त्रिंशज्जन्मार्जितं पापं नश्येद्रेवावगाहनात् । तस्मात्त्वं नर्मदातीरं गत्वा चर तपो महत्

Transliteration

triṃśajjanmārjitaṃ pāpaṃ naśyedrevāvagāhanāt | tasmāttvaṃ narmadātīraṃ gatvā cara tapo mahat

Translation

إنّ الإثم المتراكم عبر ثلاثين ولادة يزول بالاغتسال في نهر ريفا المقدّس. فاذهب إلى ضفّة نَرْمَدَا وامضِ في تَقَشُّفٍ عظيم.

Word by Word

• triṃśat: thirty
• triṃśat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: triṃśat (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासे पूर्वपदत्वेन (numeral used as prior member)

• janma: birth
• janma: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपदम् (genitive relation in compound)

• ārjitam: acquired/earned
• ārjitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √arj (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (agreeing with pāpam)

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचनम्

• naśyet: would perish
• naśyet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• revā: Revā (Narmadā)
• revā: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: revā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपदम् (of Revā)

• avagāhanāt: from bathing/immersion
• avagāhanāt: Apādāna/Hetu (Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avagāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगानुसार); पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान) एकवचनम्; हेतौ (cause)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Sambandha (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे/तस्मात्-प्रयोगः (therefore)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता) एकवचनम्

• narmadā: Narmadā
• narmadā: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपदम् (of Narmadā)

• tīram: bank/shore
• tīram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचनम्

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √gam (धातु) + tvā (त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• cara: practice/do
• cara: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचनम्

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with tapaḥ)

Speaker

Nandin

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-figure (Nandin) urges a seeker toward the Narmadā; the riverbank glows with tīrtha-aura, suggesting purification and resolve for tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rivers, especially Revā/Narmadā, are upheld as powerful means of purification when approached with discipline and tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (the Narmadā River) and her banks (Narmadā-tīra) are explicitly praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Revā-avagāhana (ritual immersion/bathing) and undertaking tapas on the Narmadā’s bank.