Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

पुराणसंहितां वापि शैवीं वा वैष्णवीमपि । यः पठेन्नर्मदातीरे शिवाग्रे स शिवात्मकः

Transliteration

purāṇasaṃhitāṃ vāpi śaivīṃ vā vaiṣṇavīmapi | yaḥ paṭhennarmadātīre śivāgre sa śivātmakaḥ

Translation

Qu’il s’agisse d’un recueil purānique, d’un texte śaiva ou même vaiṣṇava, celui qui le lit sur la rive de la Narmadā devant Śiva devient de la nature même de Śiva.

Word by Word

• पुराणसंहिताम्: a Purāṇa-saṃhitā
• पुराणसंहिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुराणस्य संहिता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प/alternative particle)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Samuccaya/Avadhāraṇa (Also/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/also; emphasis)

• शैवीम्: Śaiva (pertaining to Shiva)
• शैवीम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (of संहिताम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प)

• वैष्णवीम्: Vaiṣṇava (pertaining to Vishnu)
• वैष्णवीम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (of संहिताम्)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Also/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/also)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• पठेत्: should read/recite
• पठेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नर्मदातीरे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नर्मदायाः तीरे); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शिवाग्रे: in front of Shiva (image/temple)
• शिवाग्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शिवस्य अग्रे); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• शिवात्मकः: having Shiva as his very self; Shiva-natured
• शिवात्मकः: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (शिवः आत्मा यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Nandī (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra (Śiva-sannidhi)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee sits before a Śiva-liṅga shrine on the Narmadā bank, reading from a Purāṇa; around are listeners of mixed traditions; the liṅga radiates, suggesting the reader becoming ‘śivātmaka’.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Śiva
• Vaiṣṇava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere sacred reading in a Śiva-saturated holy geography transforms the devotee toward Śiva-consciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā-tīra (the Narmadā riverbank), specifically in the presence of Śiva (śivāgre).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṭha (reading/recitation) of Purāṇic/Śaiva/Vaiṣṇava saṃhitās on the Narmadā bank before Śiva.