Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सर्वेषां नर्मदा पुण्या रुद्रदेहाद्विनिःसृता । सर्वाभ्यश्च सरिद्भ्यश्च वरदानान्महात्मनः

Transliteration

sarveṣāṃ narmadā puṇyā rudradehādviniḥsṛtā | sarvābhyaśca saridbhyaśca varadānānmahātmanaḥ

Translation

Unter allen Flüssen ist die Narmadā heilig, denn sie entsprang dem eigenen Leib Rudras. Durch die segenspendende Macht jenes großherzigen Herrn steht sie über allen anderen Strömen.

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पुण्या: holy
• पुण्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नर्मदाया विशेषणम्

• रुद्रदेहात्: from Rudra’s body
• रुद्रदेहात्: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य देहः = Rudra’s body)

• विनिःसृता: has issued forth
• विनिःसृता: Kriyā (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + निः + सृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; “issued forth/emerged”

• सर्वाभ्यः: from/than all
• सर्वाभ्यः: Apadana (Comparison/source: ‘than/from’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन; सरिद्भ्यः इति विशेषण (from all)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• सरिद्भ्यः: from/than (other) rivers
• सरिद्भ्यः: Apadana (Comparison/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन (ablative plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• वरदानात्: because of the granting of boons
• वरदानात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (because of the boon-giving)

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (genitive singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narmadā personified as a luminous river-goddess emerging from Rudra’s body or from his side/heart as a stream of light-water; other rivers appear as attendant figures, acknowledging her primacy; Śiva’s boon-bestowing gesture dominates.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Rudra (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is rooted in divine source; Narmadā’s origin in Rudra establishes her exceptional purifying status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) as a foremost river-tīrtha, explicitly connected to Rudra/Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse is a doctrinal praise that supports practices like snāna, dāna, and pilgrimage along Narmadā.