Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

महासरःसरित्पातैरदृश्यां दृश्यरूपिणीम् । वन्द्यमानां सुरैः सिद्धैर्मुनिसङ्घैश्च भारत

Transliteration

mahāsaraḥsaritpātairadṛśyāṃ dṛśyarūpiṇīm | vandyamānāṃ suraiḥ siddhairmunisaṅghaiśca bhārata

Translation

O Bhārata, zugleich war sie unsichtbar—verborgen durch große Seen, Flüsse und Wasserfälle—und doch in sichtbarer Gestalt offenbar, verehrt von den Göttern, den Siddhas und Scharen von Weisen.

Word by Word

• महासरः-सरित्-पातैः: by the falls/cascades of great lakes and rivers
• महासरः-सरित्-पातैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• अदृश्याम्: invisible
• अदृश्याम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदृश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• दृश्य-रूपिणीम्: having a visible form
• दृश्य-रूपिणीम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• वन्द्यमानाम्: being worshipped
• वन्द्यमानाम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्द्यमान (कृदन्त; √वन्द्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• सिद्धैः: by the Siddhas
• सिद्धैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• मुनि-सङ्घैः: by groups of sages
• मुनि-सङ्घैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing a royal listener as ‘Bhārata’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) and her associated tīrtha-network

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (royal addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narmadā is veiled by a network of great lakes, tributary falls, and cascades, yet appears in radiant form while devas, siddhas, and sages worship her.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Suras
• Siddhas
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is both transcendent and immanent: Narmadā can be hidden to ordinary sight yet remains a manifest goddess revered by perfected beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha as a whole, portrayed as universally worshipped across the divine and sage realms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship/veneration (vandana) is implied; no specific procedural injunction is given in this verse.