Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

नर्मदातीरमाश्रित्य शाकमूलफलैरपि । एकस्मिन्भोजिते विप्रे कोटि भोजफलं लभेत

Transliteration

narmadātīramāśritya śākamūlaphalairapi | ekasminbhojite vipre koṭi bhojaphalaṃ labheta

Translation

Wer am heiligen Ufer der Narmadā Zuflucht nimmt, selbst mit einfachem Grün, Wurzeln und Früchten, erlangt—wenn er einen einzigen Brāhmaṇa speist—Verdienst wie beim Speisen von zehn Millionen.

Word by Word

• नर्मदा-तीरम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तीरम्)

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), ‘having resorted to/after taking refuge’

• शाक-मूल-फलैः: with vegetables, roots, and fruits
• शाक-मूल-फलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (शाकानि च मूलानि च फलानि च)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘even/also’

• एकस्मिन्: in/for one
• एकस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in one (person/instance)’

• भोजिते: when fed
• भोजिते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोजित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भुज्/भोज् caus.)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘when (someone) is fed’

• विप्रे: (in the case of) a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रे: Adhikarana (Reference/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘in/with respect to a brāhmaṇa’

• कोटि: a crore
• कोटि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक ‘a crore’

• भोज-फलम्: the fruit of feeding
• भोज-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भोजस्य फलम्)

• लभेत: would obtain
• लभेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘would obtain’

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet Narmadā riverbank with a small leaf-plate meal of greens, roots, and fruits offered to a seated brāhmaṇa; the donor stands with folded hands; the river glows as a sacred witness.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Narmadā
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed in a sanctified landscape multiplies in merit; purity of place and intention outweigh luxury of offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbank (Narmadā-tīra) is presented as an especially merit-amplifying tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhojana/annadāna: feeding even one brāhmaṇa at the Narmadā bank, even with simple foods.