Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

इयं पुण्या सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा रेवा विश्वैकपावनी । रुद्रदेहसमुद्भूता सर्वभूताभयप्रदा

Transliteration

iyaṃ puṇyā saricchreṣṭhā revā viśvaikapāvanī | rudradehasamudbhūtā sarvabhūtābhayapradā

Translation

Diese heilige Revā ist die erhabenste der Flüsse, die einzigartige Reinigerin der Welt; aus Rudras eigenem Leib hervorgegangen, schenkt sie allen Wesen Furchtlosigkeit.

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुण्या: holy, meritorious
• पुण्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• सरित्-श्रेष्ठा: best of rivers
• सरित्-श्रेष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'सरितां श्रेष्ठा'

• रेवा: Reva (Narmadā)
• रेवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विश्व-एक-पावनी: the sole purifier of the world
• विश्व-एक-पावनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + पावनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'विश्वस्य एकपावनी' = purifier of the whole world

• रुद्र-देह-समुद्भूता: arisen from Rudra’s body
• रुद्र-देह-समुद्भूता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भूत (कृदन्त; सम्+उद्+√भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) 'समुद्भूत' = arisen; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'रुद्रदेहात् समुद्भूता'

• सर्व-भूत-अभय-प्रदा: giver of fearlessness to all beings
• सर्व-भूत-अभय-प्रदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + अभय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास: 'सर्वभूतेभ्यः अभयं प्रददाति'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous river-goddess Revā/Narmadā flows from Rudra’s body; Rudra stands serene, ash-smeared, with matted locks; beings on both banks—humans, animals, birds—receive ‘abhaya’ as a radiant aura; tīrtha-ghāṭas and śaiva liṅgas appear along the banks.

Characters & Entities

• Revā
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not merely geography; Revā is presented as Śaiva sacred power—purifying, protecting, and granting fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā as a divine river-tīrtha, revered across her entire course.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse establishes theological identity and the spiritual fruit (purification and abhaya).