Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

एवमादिषु तीर्थेषु यत्पुण्यं जायते नृणाम् । नर्मदाचरितं श्रुत्वा तत्पुण्यं सकलं लभेत्

Transliteration

evamādiṣu tīrtheṣu yatpuṇyaṃ jāyate nṛṇām | narmadācaritaṃ śrutvā tatpuṇyaṃ sakalaṃ labhet

Translation

Welches Verdienst auch immer den Menschen an solchen und anderen heiligen Tīrthas erwächst—durch das Hören der heiligen Erzählung von der Narmadā erlangt man dieses Verdienst ganz und gar.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'thus/in this way')

• आदिषु: among such (places) and others
• आदिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; 'आदि' = 'etc./and the like' (locative plural: 'among such etc.')

• तीर्थेषु: in pilgrimage places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (correlative: 'whatever')

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• जायते: arises/is produced
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• नर्मदाचरितम्: the Narmadā-carita
• नर्मदाचरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + चरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नर्मदायाः चरितम्)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having heard'

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to 'पुण्यम्')

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• सकलम्: entire/complete
• सकलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to 'पुण्यम्')

• लभेत्: would obtain/should obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā) carita-śravaṇa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand concluding tableau: the Narmadā narrative radiates light that transforms into many tīrtha symbols (ghats, sangams, temples), then returns as a single stream of blessing into the listener’s heart.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Tīrthas (general)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional listening (śravaṇa) to a sacred māhātmya can confer the same spiritual merit as extensive pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā’s māhātmya is exalted as encompassing the merit of many tīrthas collectively.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa—hearing the Narmadā-carita—is the explicit practice tied to gaining merit.