Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

एतच्च कथितं सर्वं संक्षेपेण द्विजोत्तमाः । नर्मदाचरितं पुण्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु दुर्लभम्

Transliteration

etacca kathitaṃ sarvaṃ saṃkṣepeṇa dvijottamāḥ | narmadācaritaṃ puṇyaṃ triṣu lokeṣu durlabham

Translation

So, o Beste der Zweifachgeborenen, ist dies alles kurz dargelegt: die heilige Überlieferung von Narmadā, ein verdienstvoller Ruhm, der in den drei Welten schwer zu erlangen ist.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• कथितम्: told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• संक्षेपेण: briefly, in summary
• संक्षेपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/रीत्या (by way of)

• द्विज-उत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विज-उत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: उत्तमाः द्विजाः

• नर्मदा-चरितम्: the story/deeds of Narmadā
• नर्मदा-चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी): नर्मदायाः चरितम्

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• त्रिषु: in three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• दुर्लभम्: rare, hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Āvantya Khaṇḍa purāṇic narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā/Revā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concluding tableau: sages and dvijas receive a condensed yet luminous 'Narmadā-carita'—visualized as a sacred manuscript glowing, with the river personified in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Revā
• Triloka (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing and preserving the sacred narrative of Narmadā is itself a rare merit across the three worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā as a living tīrtha—her entire river-course is treated as sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on śravaṇa (hearing) of Narmadā’s māhātmya.