Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ते जपन्तस्तपन्तश्च तिष्ठन्ति भरतर्षभ । अर्चयन्ति पित्ःन्देवान्नर्मदातटमाश्रिताः

Transliteration

te japantastapantaśca tiṣṭhanti bharatarṣabha | arcayanti pitḥndevānnarmadātaṭamāśritāḥ

Translation

O Stier unter den Bhāratas, am Ufer der Narmadā wohnend, verweilen sie dort—Japa rezitierend und Tapas übend—während sie sowohl die Pitṛs (Ahnen) als auch die Devas verehren.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• जपन्तः: chanting
• जपन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदी; 'जपन्तः' = chanting

• तपन्तः: doing penance
• तपन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'तपन्तः' = performing austerity

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तिष्ठन्ति: stand, remain
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भरत-ऋषभ: O best of the Bharatas
• भरत-ऋषभ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'भरतानां ऋषभः' (O best of the Bharatas)

• अर्चयन्ति: worship
• अर्चयन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पितॄन्: ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; 'पितॄन्' (ancestors)

• देवान्: gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• नर्मदा-तटम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'नर्मदायाḥ तटम्'

• आश्रिताः: having taken refuge (dwelling)
• आश्रिताः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'आश्रिताः' = having resorted to / dwelling at

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda Purāṇa narrator, contextually addressing a listener as ‘Bhārata/Bharatarṣabha’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘Bhāratarṣabha’ (a Bharata prince/king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages on the Narmadā bank: some seated in japa with rosaries, some standing in austerity, others offering water and flowers—half to the Devas, half to the Pitṛs—amid a quiet riverside hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Pitṛs
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life on a tīrtha like the Narmadā’s bank is sanctified by steady japa, tapas, and worship that honors both gods and ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbank (Narmadā-taṭa) within the Revā-khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (chanting), tapas (austerity), and arcana (worship) including reverence to Pitṛs and Devas.