Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

पश्यामि तामत्र पुनश्च शुभ्रां महाभ्रनीलां शुचिशुभ्रतोयाम् । वृक्षैरनेकैरुपशोभिताङ्गीं गजैस्तुरङ्गैर्विहगैर्वृतां च

Transliteration

paśyāmi tāmatra punaśca śubhrāṃ mahābhranīlāṃ śuciśubhratoyām | vṛkṣairanekairupaśobhitāṅgīṃ gajaisturaṅgairvihagairvṛtāṃ ca

Translation

Wieder erblicke ich sie dort—strahlend und hell, dunkelblau wie eine große Regenwolke, mit reinem, glänzendem Wasser. Ihr Leib ist von vielen Bäumen geschmückt, und sie ist umgeben von Elefanten, Pferden und Scharen von Vögeln.

Word by Word

• paśyāmi: I see
• paśyāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश्य्) (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Parasmaipada, Uttama-puruṣa, Singular

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of place

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• śubhrām: bright/white
• śubhrām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; agrees with tām

• mahābhra-nīlām: dark-blue like a great cloud
• mahābhra-nīlām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + abhra + nīla (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः: mahābhra-sadṛśa-nīlā (dark like a great cloud)

• śuci-śubhra-toyām: with pure, bright water
• śuci-śubhra-toyām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci + śubhra + toya (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; कर्मधारयः: śuci ca śubhraṃ ca toyaṃ yasyāḥ sā (having pure white water)

• vṛkṣaiḥ: with trees
• vṛkṣaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• anekaiḥ: many
• anekaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; agrees with vṛkṣaiḥ

• upaśobhita-aṅgīm: whose limbs are adorned
• upaśobhita-aṅgīm: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√śubh (शुभ्) (धातु) + aṅgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP) upaśobhita 'adorned'; तत्पुरुषः: upaśobhitāni aṅgāni yasyāḥ sā

• gajaiḥ: with elephants
• gajaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• turaṅgaiḥ: with horses
• turaṅgaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: turaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• vihagaiḥ: with birds
• vihagaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vihaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• vṛtām: surrounded
• vṛtām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vṛ (वृञ्) (धातु)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Feminine, Accusative, Singular; agrees with tām

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The river-goddess appears: a broad, dark-blue, shining river with crystalline highlights; banks lush with many trees; elephants and horses near the shore; birds wheeling overhead.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holy river is a theophany: purity of waters and beauty of creation become signs of the Goddess’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā and her riverbanks, portrayed as a living sacred realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse supports tīrtha-darśana and contemplative reverence of the river.