Shloka 5

Narmadā Māhātmya with the Praise of Amarakantaka Tīrthas

Devanagari script

नर्मदायास्तु माहात्म्यं वसिष्ठोक्तं मया श्रुतम् । तदेतद्धि महाराज सर्वं हि कथयामि ते

Transliteration

narmadāyāstu māhātmyaṃ vasiṣṭhoktaṃ mayā śrutam | tadetaddhi mahārāja sarvaṃ hi kathayāmi te

Translation

Ich habe die Größe der Narmadā vernommen, wie Vasiṣṭha sie verkündet hat. Darum, o großer König, will ich dir nun alles davon berichten.

Word by Word

• नर्मदायाः: of Narmadā
• नर्मदायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• तु: indeed, however
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अवधारणार्थक-निपात)

• माहात्म्यम्: the sacred greatness
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अत्र कर्मरूपेण)

• वसिष्ठोक्तम्: spoken by Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठोक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसिष्ठ + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘वसिष्ठेन उक्तम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (करण/कर्तृ), एकवचन

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriyā (Predicate—nominal/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘श्रुतम् (अस्ति)’ इति भावः

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘महान् राजा’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक-निपात)

• कथयामि: I tell
• कथयामि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

Speaker

Primary narrator (a sage/storyteller addressing a king)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: river

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: नर्मदायास्तु = नर्मदायाः + तु; वसिष्ठोक्तं = वसिष्ठ + उक्तम्; तदेतद्धि = तत् + एतत् + हि।

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What does this verse indicate about the source of the Narmadā-māhātmya?

It frames the teaching as a received tradition: the narrator says he heard the Narmadā’s sacred glory as taught by the sage Vasiṣṭha, then transmits it to the king.

How does this verse function within a tīrtha-māhātmya section?

It serves as an introduction and authorization: it establishes lineage (Vasiṣṭha → narrator → king) and signals that a complete account of the Narmadā’s sanctity will follow.

What ethical or devotional emphasis is implied here?

The verse implies reverence for scriptural transmission and attentive listening: sacred knowledge is presented as something carefully heard from authoritative sages and then responsibly shared for the listener’s benefit.