Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सारितः परितः सन्ति सतीर्थास्तु सहस्रशः । न तुलां यान्ति रेवायास्ताश्च मन्ये मुनीश्वराः

Transliteration

sāritaḥ paritaḥ santi satīrthāstu sahasraśaḥ | na tulāṃ yānti revāyāstāśca manye munīśvarāḥ

Translation

Rivers all around indeed exist, with their tīrthas in the thousands; yet they do not attain equality with Revā—so I deem, O lords among sages.

Word by Word

• सारितः: rivers/streams
• सारितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural); ‘सारित’ = नदी/सरित्-समूहः (rivers)

• परितः: all around
• परितः: Adhikarana (Circumstance/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: all around)

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd pl)

• सतीर्थाः: with (their) tīrthas
• सतीर्थाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्गवत् ‘सह’) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural); विशेषणम् (qualifier of सारितः); तीर्थैः सह (with tīrthas)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative/contrast particle)

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand
• सहस्रशः: Adhikarana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: by thousands, in thousands)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• तुलाम्: comparison, equal measure
• तुलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• यान्ति: reach/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd pl)

• रेवायाः: of Revā
• रेवायाः: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• ताः: those (rivers)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural); (refers to सारितः understood as feminine rivers)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (Cognition/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन (1st sg); आत्मनेपद

• मुनीश्वराः: O lords among sages
• मुनीश्वराः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural); सम्बोधनार्थे/उक्तिविषयः (addressed/referred to)

Speaker

Vāyu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of sages gestures toward a radiant Revā while other rivers appear in the background with smaller shrine clusters; Revā’s glow dominates, symbolizing her unmatched tīrtha-power.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Rivers
• Tīrthas
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacredness has degrees in Purāṇic mapping; Revā is upheld as uniquely potent among river-tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā, praised as incomparable even when other rivers possess many tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal statement of superiority intended to inspire pilgrimage and reverence.