Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

पुराणसंहितां वापि शैवीं वा वैष्णवीमपि । यः पठेन्नर्मदातीरे शिवाग्रे स शिवात्मकः

Transliteration

purāṇasaṃhitāṃ vāpi śaivīṃ vā vaiṣṇavīmapi | yaḥ paṭhennarmadātīre śivāgre sa śivātmakaḥ

Translation

Ob puranische Sammlung, śaivischer oder sogar vaiṣṇavischer Text: Wer ihn am Ufer der Narmadā vor Śiva liest, wird von Śivas eigener Wesensnatur.

Word by Word

• पुराणसंहिताम्: a Purāṇa-saṃhitā
• पुराणसंहिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुराणस्य संहिता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प/alternative particle)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Samuccaya/Avadhāraṇa (Also/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/also; emphasis)

• शैवीम्: Śaiva (pertaining to Shiva)
• शैवीम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (of संहिताम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प)

• वैष्णवीम्: Vaiṣṇava (pertaining to Vishnu)
• वैष्णवीम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (of संहिताम्)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Also/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/also)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• पठेत्: should read/recite
• पठेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नर्मदातीरे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नर्मदायाः तीरे); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शिवाग्रे: in front of Shiva (image/temple)
• शिवाग्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शिवस्य अग्रे); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• शिवात्मकः: having Shiva as his very self; Shiva-natured
• शिवात्मकः: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (शिवः आत्मा यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Nandī (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra (Śiva-sannidhi)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee sits before a Śiva-liṅga shrine on the Narmadā bank, reading from a Purāṇa; around are listeners of mixed traditions; the liṅga radiates, suggesting the reader becoming ‘śivātmaka’.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Śiva
• Vaiṣṇava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere sacred reading in a Śiva-saturated holy geography transforms the devotee toward Śiva-consciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā-tīra (the Narmadā riverbank), specifically in the presence of Śiva (śivāgre).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṭha (reading/recitation) of Purāṇic/Śaiva/Vaiṣṇava saṃhitās on the Narmadā bank before Śiva.