Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

नगरग्रामघोषाढ्यां पुरपत्तनशोभिताम् । गच्छामो नर्मदातीरं बहुसिद्धनिषेवितम्

Transliteration

nagaragrāmaghoṣāḍhyāṃ purapattanaśobhitām | gacchāmo narmadātīraṃ bahusiddhaniṣevitam

Translation

„Lasst uns an das Ufer der Narmadā gehen — reich an Städten, Dörfern und Hirtenansiedlungen, geschmückt mit Orten und Häfen, von vielen Siddhas aufgesucht.“

Word by Word

• नगरग्रामघोषाढ्याम्: rich in towns, villages, and hamlets
• नगरग्रामघोषाढ्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नगर + ग्राम + घोष + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (नगरैः ग्रामैः घोषैः च आढ्या)

• पुरपत्तनशोभिताम्: adorned with cities and ports/towns
• पुरपत्तनशोभिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुर + पत्तन + शोभित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (पुरैः पत्तनैः च शोभिता)

• गच्छामः: we go
• गच्छामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नर्मदातीरम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तीर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तीरम्)

• बहुसिद्धनिषेवितम्: frequented by many siddhas
• बहुसिद्धनिषेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + सिद्ध + निषेवित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (बहुभिः सिद्धैः निषेवितम्)

Speaker

The unnamed great sage (first-person narrator) instructing the gathered vipras/ṛṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra (Narmadā riverbank)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Narmadā riverbank: ghats, boats near a small port, clustered towns and villages, pastoral herds, and luminous Siddhas hovering or seated in meditation on rocky outcrops; the river glints as a sacred artery.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Siddhas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas present tirthas as living refuges—places where divine presence, siddha-company, and dharmic livelihood support spiritual continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) riverbank is explicitly praised as a siddha-frequented sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The instruction is to go to Narmadā’s bank—implying tirtha-resort (sevā), likely including snāna and worship though not stated explicitly here.