Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सेवितव्या सरिद्वरा । वाञ्छद्भिः परमं श्रेय इह लोके परत्र च

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena sevitavyā saridvarā | vāñchadbhiḥ paramaṃ śreya iha loke paratra ca

Translation

Ainsi, de tout son effort, le meilleur des fleuves doit être servi et honoré par ceux qui recherchent le bien suprême—en ce monde et dans l’au-delà.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘सर्वेण प्रयत्नेन’ (पूर्ण-उद्योगेन)

• सेवितव्या: should be served/attended
• सेवितव्या: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय

• सरित्-वरा: the best river
• सरित्-वरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘वरा सरित्’ (श्रेष्ठा नदी)

• वाञ्छद्भिः: by those desiring
• वाञ्छद्भिः: Karta (Agent in participial phrase/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘वाञ्छन्तैः’

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (श्रेयः)

• श्रेयः: welfare/the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• परत्र: in the hereafter
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb), ‘अन्यस्मिन् लोके’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context: Revā-khaṇḍa injunction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā/Revā (saridvarā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Those seeking ‘parama-śreyas’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees actively serving the Narmadā: sweeping ghats, offering lamps, feeding pilgrims; the river shines as ‘saridvarā’. Two symbolic horizons—one with prosperous village life (iha), another with celestial path/light (para)—frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Active reverence (sevā) toward a great tirtha is dharma and yields well-being in both realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā/Revā, called the ‘best of rivers’ (saridvarā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā of the river—practical devotion such as honoring, visiting, and sustained service at the tirtha (general injunction).