Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

यथा गङ्गा तथा रेवा तथा चैव सरस्वती । समं पुण्यफलं प्रोक्तं स्नानदर्शनचिन्तनैः

Transliteration

yathā gaṅgā tathā revā tathā caiva sarasvatī | samaṃ puṇyaphalaṃ proktaṃ snānadarśanacintanaiḥ

Translation

Wie die Gaṅgā, so ist die Revā, und ebenso die Sarasvatī. Es wird verkündet, dass derselbe Verdienstlohn aus Baden, Schauen und Gedenken an sie erwächst.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/conjunction) उपमानार्थ

• गङ्गा: Ganga
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• रेवा: Reva (Narmada)
• रेवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: revā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थ निपात (emphatic particle)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvati
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• समम्: equally
• समम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) = 'equally'

• पुण्यफलम्: meritorious fruit/result
• पुण्यफलम्: Karma (Object of 'proktaṃ'/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya-phala (प्रातिपदिक; puṇya + phala)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय-नाम

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prokta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vac वचने with प्र-)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे

• स्नानदर्शनचिन्तनैः: by bathing, seeing, and remembering
• स्नानदर्शनचिन्तनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna-darśana-cintana (प्रातिपदिक; snāna + darśana + cintana)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; साधन/करण (instr. pl.)

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice within Revākhaṇḍa; commonly framed as Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (equated with Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three river-goddesses—Gaṅgā, Revā, Sarasvatī—standing or flowing side-by-side, each with distinct iconography, while devotees perform bathing, folded-hand darśana, and meditative remembrance.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma values multiple modes of devotion—bath, sight, and remembrance—and affirms equal sanctity among the great rivers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā is explicitly elevated to parity with Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī as a foremost tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing), darśana (viewing), and cintana (remembrance/meditation) are prescribed as merit-producing acts.