Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

बभूव नर्मदा देवी प्रावृट्काल इव शर्वरी । देवतायतनैर्नैकैः पूजासंस्कारशोभिता

Transliteration

babhūva narmadā devī prāvṛṭkāla iva śarvarī | devatāyatanairnaikaiḥ pūjāsaṃskāraśobhitā

Translation

Die Göttin Narmadā wurde wie eine Nacht in der Regenzeit: herrlich geschmückt durch viele Götterheiligtümer und geziert durch Verehrung und heilige Riten.

Word by Word

• babhūva: became, was
• babhūva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• narmadā: Narmadā
• narmadā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devī: goddess
• devī: Viśeṣya (Apposition/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपाधि

• prāvṛṭ-kālaḥ: the rainy season
• prāvṛṭ-kālaḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāvṛṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘प्रावृटः कालः’ (rainy-season time)

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (like)

• śarvarī: night
• śarvarī: Upameya (Compared entity/उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devatā-āyatanaiḥ: with temples of deities
• devatā-āyatanaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक) + āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष

• naikaiḥ: many
• naikaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: na+eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘नैक’ = अनेक (many); विशेषण

• pūjā-saṃskāra-śobhitā: adorned with worship and rituals
• pūjā-saṃskāra-śobhitā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃskāra (प्रातिपदिक) + śobhita (कृदन्त; √śubh/√śobh)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘शोभित’ (adorned); तत्पुरुष: ‘पूजया संस्कारेण च शोभिता’ (adorned by worship and rites)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā) Devī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A monsoon night over the Narmadā: deep indigo sky, rain clouds, shimmering reflections on water; numerous small temples and lamps along the banks; priests performing pūjā; the river-goddess subtly present in the glow.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Devatā (gods)
• Pūjā
• Saṃskāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holiness of a river-tīrtha is amplified by living practice—temples, pūjā, and saṃskāras make the sacred visible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) river-region, envisioned as a vast corridor of deity-shrines and ritual worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) and saṃskāra (ritual observances/consecrations) are mentioned generally, not as a single fixed vow.