Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पूर्वाचार्यांस्तथा सर्वान्दृष्ट्वादृष्टार्थवेदिनः । प्रणम्य नर्मदां देवीं वक्ष्ये तीर्थावलिं त्विमाम्

Transliteration

pūrvācāryāṃstathā sarvāndṛṣṭvādṛṣṭārthavedinaḥ | praṇamya narmadāṃ devīṃ vakṣye tīrthāvaliṃ tvimām

Translation

Nachdem ich allen alten Lehrern Ehrerbietung erwiesen habe—Kennern der sichtbaren und unsichtbaren Bedeutungen—und mich vor der Göttin Narmadā verneigt habe, werde ich nun eben diese Girlande der Tīrthas verkünden.

Word by Word

• पूर्वाचार्यान्: the former teachers
• पूर्वाचार्यान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: पूर्वाः आचार्याः

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (also/likewise)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रयोग

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: दृश् (to see)

• अदृष्टार्थवेदिनः: knowers of unseen meanings
• अदृष्टार्थवेदिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदृष्ट + अर्थ + वेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासार्थ: अदृष्टस्य अर्थस्य वेदिन् = 'knowers of unseen meanings'

• प्रणम्य: having bowed to
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: नम् (to bow) उपसर्ग: प्र

• नर्मदाम्: Narmadā
• नर्मदाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• देवीम्: the Goddess
• देवीम्: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• वक्ष्ये: I shall describe
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; धातु: वच् (to speak)

• तीर्थावलिम्: the series/list of tīrthas
• तीर्थावलिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + आवलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: तीर्थाणाम् आवलिः

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थ (but/indeed)

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāḥ / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage bows toward a flowing river personified as Goddess Narmadā—crowned, holding a lotus and water-pot—while behind him stand ancient ācāryas/ṛṣis as luminous witnesses; a garland motif visually echoes 'tīrthāvalī'.

Characters & Entities

• Pūrvācāryas
• Narmadā Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is received through lineage and humility: honoring teachers and Narmadā Devī sanctifies the act of speaking and hearing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā herself is revered as Devī, the living tīrtha from whom the tīrtha-list proceeds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is praṇāma—reverential salutation to gurus and to Narmadā Devī before undertaking tīrtha-kathā or pilgrimage.