Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

नगरग्रामघोषाढ्यां पुरपत्तनशोभिताम् । गच्छामो नर्मदातीरं बहुसिद्धनिषेवितम्

Transliteration

nagaragrāmaghoṣāḍhyāṃ purapattanaśobhitām | gacchāmo narmadātīraṃ bahusiddhaniṣevitam

Translation

«Allons sur la rive de la Narmadā, riche de cités, de villages et de hameaux pastoraux, ornée de bourgs et de ports, fréquentée par de nombreux Siddhas.»

Word by Word

• नगरग्रामघोषाढ्याम्: rich in towns, villages, and hamlets
• नगरग्रामघोषाढ्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नगर + ग्राम + घोष + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (नगरैः ग्रामैः घोषैः च आढ्या)

• पुरपत्तनशोभिताम्: adorned with cities and ports/towns
• पुरपत्तनशोभिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुर + पत्तन + शोभित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (पुरैः पत्तनैः च शोभिता)

• गच्छामः: we go
• गच्छामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• बहुसिद्धनिषेवितम्: frequented by many siddhas
• बहुसिद्धनिषेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + सिद्ध + निषेवित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (बहुभिः सिद्धैः निषेवितम्)

Speaker

The unnamed great sage (first-person narrator) instructing the gathered vipras/ṛṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra (Narmadā riverbank)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Narmadā riverbank: ghats, boats near a small port, clustered towns and villages, pastoral herds, and luminous Siddhas hovering or seated in meditation on rocky outcrops; the river glints as a sacred artery.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Siddhas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas present tirthas as living refuges—places where divine presence, siddha-company, and dharmic livelihood support spiritual continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) riverbank is explicitly praised as a siddha-frequented sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The instruction is to go to Narmadā’s bank—implying tirtha-resort (sevā), likely including snāna and worship though not stated explicitly here.