Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

अभिनन्द्य द्विजान्सर्वाननुज्ञातो महर्षिभिः । ततोऽगमत्तदा देवो नर्मदातटमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

abhinandya dvijānsarvānanujñāto maharṣibhiḥ | tato'gamattadā devo narmadātaṭamuttamam

Translation

Nachdem er alle Dvijas geehrt und von den großen Ṛṣis die Erlaubnis erhalten hatte, begab sich der Deva daraufhin zum vortrefflichen Ufer der Narmadā.

Word by Word

• अभिनन्द्य: having greeted/commended
• अभिनन्द्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+नन्द् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• द्विजान्: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (द्विजान्)

• अनुज्ञातः: having been permitted
• अनुज्ञातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु+ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• महर्षिभिः: by the great sages
• महर्षिभिः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Avyaya (Adverb/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)

• अगमत्: went
• अगमत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Avyaya (Adverb/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• देवः: the god (lord)
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नर्मदा-तटम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तटम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (तटम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextually within Revā Khaṇḍa narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā) tīra

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deva (divine figure) bows to assembled dvijas and mahārṣis; the sages raise hands in blessing. The scene opens toward a luminous Narmadā riverbank with steps, trees, and a gentle current inviting onward travel.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (Dvija)
• Maharṣis
• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is to be undertaken with proper ācāra—honoring the learned and seeking the sages’ permission/blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbank (Revā-taṭa) is foregrounded as an excellent sacred destination within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Etiquette of tīrtha-yātrā: honoring dvijas and departing with the consent/blessing of sages.