Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

षष्टितीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टिकोटिस्तथैव च । आदिमध्यावसानेषु नर्मदायां पदे पदे

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭitīrthasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭikoṭistathaiva ca | ādimadhyāvasāneṣu narmadāyāṃ pade pade

Translation

Entlang der Narmadā—an ihrem Anfang, in ihrer Mitte und an ihrem Ende—gibt es bei jedem Schritt sechzigtausend Tīrthas und ebenso sechzig Krore heiliger Gegenwart.

Word by Word

• षष्टितीर्थसहस्राणि: sixty thousand tīrthas
• षष्टितीर्थसहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि + तीर्थ + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); संख्याविशिष्टं नाम (numerically qualified)

• षष्टिकोटिः: sixty crores
• षष्टिकोटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (also/so)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• आदि-मध्य-अवसानेषु: at the beginning, middle, and end (points)
• आदि-मध्य-अवसानेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + मध्य + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (enumerative)

• नर्मदायाम्: in/on the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पदे: at each step/place
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

• पदे: at each step/place
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping river panorama of Narmadā: from forested source to broad midstream to estuary; along both banks countless small shrines, liṅgas, ghāṭs, sages, and pilgrims—suggesting ‘pāda-pade’ tīrthas.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Narmadā is portrayed as a continuous field of holiness—pilgrimage along her banks is itself a step-by-step encounter with tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The entire Narmadā river corridor is glorified as an ever-present tīrtha network from origin through midstream to end.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly supports tīrtha-yātrā and parikramā-style devotion: moving along the Narmadā is meritorious due to ‘pade pade’ tīrthas.