Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

नर्मदा पूजिता तेन भगवांश्च महेश्वरः । वाचके पूजिते तद्वद्देवाश्च ऋषयोऽर्चिताः

Transliteration

narmadā pūjitā tena bhagavāṃśca maheśvaraḥ | vācake pūjite tadvaddevāśca ṛṣayo'rcitāḥ

Translation

Durch ihn wird Narmadā verehrt, und ebenso der selige Große Herr, Maheśvara. Wenn der Rezitator geehrt wird, so werden gleicherweise auch die Devas und die Ṛṣis verehrt.

Word by Word

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पूजिता: worshipped
• पूजिता: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (predicate)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (and)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (apposition to भगवान्)

• वाचके: when the reciter/reader
• वाचके: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; (locative absolute with पूजिते)

• पूजिते: being worshipped (when worshipped)
• पूजिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute): 'पूजिते (सति)'

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक (adverb: 'likewise/in the same way')

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अर्चिताः: worshipped/honoured
• अर्चिताः: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (predicate)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) with Maheśvara sambandha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reciter on a raised seat is offered garland, cloth, and dakṣiṇā; beside him a small Śiva-liṅga and a river-pot symbolizing Narmadā; devas and ṛṣis appear in a subtle celestial overlay receiving the same worship.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Vācaka (reciter)
• Devas
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving sacred transmission—text and teacher—counts as worship of the divine and the seers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā is directly honored; the emphasis is devotional worship rather than a single geographic spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of the Narmadā-carita tradition, including honoring the vācaka (reciter).