Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

नर्मदाचरितं पुण्यं शृणु तस्यास्ति यत्फलम् । यत्फलं सर्ववेदैः स्यात्सषडङ्गपदक्रमैः

Transliteration

narmadācaritaṃ puṇyaṃ śṛṇu tasyāsti yatphalam | yatphalaṃ sarvavedaiḥ syātsaṣaḍaṅgapadakramaiḥ

Translation

Höre die heilige Erzählung von der Narmadā und die Frucht, die daraus erwächst—dieselbe Frucht, die aus allen Veden entstünde, samt den sechs Aṅgas und ihrer geordneten Rezitation.

Word by Word

• नर्मदाचरितम्: the account/deeds of Narmadā
• नर्मदाचरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + चरित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; नर्मदाचरितम् इति विशेषण

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तस्याः: of her/of that (Narmadā)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; यत् इत्यस्य विशेष्य (head noun)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सर्ववेदैः: by all the Vedas
• सर्ववेदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• स्यात्: would be/may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सषडङ्गपदक्रमैः: with the six auxiliaries and the word-order/recitation steps
• सषडङ्गपदक्रमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + षडङ्ग + पदक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; 'सहित' अर्थे स-उपसर्ग (with)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya invites the king to hear Narmadā’s holy account; behind them symbolic imagery of the four Vedas and six Vedāṅgas appears as radiant manuscripts merging into the flowing river.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Vedas
• Vedāṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional listening to the Narmadā’s sacred narrative is exalted as a potent dharma-practice, comparable to extensive Vedic study.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) as a living tīrtha whose story itself bestows great merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (hearing) of Narmadā-carita is recommended as a merit-producing practice.