Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

तस्माद्धर्मपरैर्विप्रैः क्षत्रशूद्रविशादिभिः । सदा सेव्या महाभागा धर्मवृद्ध्यर्थकारिभिः

Transliteration

tasmāddharmaparairvipraiḥ kṣatraśūdraviśādibhiḥ | sadā sevyā mahābhāgā dharmavṛddhyarthakāribhiḥ

Translation

Darum sollen dharmagesinnte Brahmanen, ebenso Kshatriyas, Shudras, Vaishyas und andere, die hochbegnadete (Narmadā) stets verehren und ihr dienen, wenn sie das Wachstum des Dharma und wahres Wohlergehen erstreben.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Causal connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् निपातः (indeclinable in sense “therefore/from that reason”)

• धर्मपरैः: by those devoted to dharma
• धर्मपरैः: Karta (Agent, instrumental with passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मे पराः)

• विप्रैः: by brāhmaṇas
• विप्रैः: Karta (Agent, instrumental with passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• क्षत्रशूद्रविशादिभिः: by kṣatriyas, śūdras, vaiśyas, and others
• क्षत्रशूद्रविशादिभिः: Karta (Agent, instrumental with passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्र + शूद्र + विश + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (क्षत्रशूद्रविशाः) + ‘आदि’ (etc.)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: always)

• सेव्या: should be served
• सेव्या: Kriyā (Predicate: “should be served”)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य/अनर्हकृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय—‘सेवितव्या’

• महाभागा: most fortunate/illustrious
• महाभागा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् भागः यस्याः) विशेषण (of Narmadā)

• धर्मवृद्ध्यर्थकारिभिः: by those who promote the growth of dharma
• धर्मवृद्ध्यर्थकारिभिः: Karta (Agent, instrumental with passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + वृद्धि + अर्थ + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (धर्मवृद्ध्यर्थं कारिणः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate narrative context; explicit in Adhyāya 9 opening)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A broad ghat on the Narmadā where brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras stand together offering lamps and water, symbolizing shared dharma; the river-goddess blesses them with a calm gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (implied as the one to be served)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to a sacred tīrtha that increases dharma is a universal duty for all righteous people, beyond social divisions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā), presented as the auspicious, ever-to-be-served sacred river.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous sevā/reverence to Narmadā—regular devotional attendance, pilgrimage, and dharmic conduct associated with the tīrtha.