Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तैर्जपद्भिस्तपद्भिश्च सततं द्विजसत्तमैः । भ्राजते सा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा ताराभिर्द्यौर्ग्रहैरिव

Transliteration

tairjapadbhistapadbhiśca satataṃ dvijasattamaiḥ | bhrājate sā saricchreṣṭhā tārābhirdyaurgrahairiva

Translation

Durch jene erlesensten Dvijas, die stets in Japa und Tapas verweilen, erstrahlt diese beste der Flüsse wie der Himmel, der von Sternen und Planeten glänzt.

Word by Word

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• जपद्भिः: by (those) chanting
• जपद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'जपद्भिः' = by those who chant

• तपद्भिः: by (those) performing austerity
• तपद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'तपद्भिः' = by those doing penance

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

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-रूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverbial accusative)

• द्विज-सत्तमैः: by the best brāhmaṇas (twice-born)
• द्विज-सत्तमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'द्विजानां सत्तमाः' (best of the twice-born)

• भ्राजते: shines
• भ्राजते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• सा: she (that river)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सरित्-श्रेष्ठा: the best of rivers
• सरित्-श्रेष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'सरितां श्रेष्ठा' (best among rivers)

• ताराभिः: with stars
• ताराभिः: Upamāna-sādhana (Instrument in simile/उपमान-साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• द्यौः: the sky
• द्यौः: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; 'द्यौः' = sky/heaven

• ग्रहैः: with planets
• ग्रहैः: Upamāna-sādhana (Instrument in simile/उपमान-साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; 'ग्रह' = planets

• इव: like
• इव: Upamā-dyotaka (Simile marker/उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda Purāṇa narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night or twilight on the Narmadā: the river gleams; along the bank, many brahmin sages sit in japa and stand in austerity, appearing like stars; the sky-river mirroring creates a cosmic tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Brahmins (dvija-sattama)
• stars (tārā)
• planets (graha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s glory is magnified by the sustained spiritual disciplines of realized practitioners.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā, praised as ‘the best of rivers’ in the Revā-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous japa and tapas performed by dvija-sattamas (exemplary Brahmins).