Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

संजाताया नृपश्रेष्ठ मया दृष्टा ह्यनेकशः । कथिता नृपतिश्रेष्ठ भूयः किं कथयामि ते

Transliteration

saṃjātāyā nṛpaśreṣṭha mayā dṛṣṭā hyanekaśaḥ | kathitā nṛpatiśreṣṭha bhūyaḥ kiṃ kathayāmi te

Translation

Ô meilleur des rois, je l’ai vraiment vue—Revā/Narmadā—bien des fois lorsqu’elle venait à l’être. Ô prince éminent, je l’ai déjà dit ; que pourrais-je encore te redire ?

Word by Word

• संजातायाः: of (her/it) that has arisen
• संजातायाः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (संजात = arisen); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of the arisen/manifest)

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्टाः: (they) were seen
• दृष्टाः: Karta (Predicate of implied subject: 'they')
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय (seen)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/कारणार्थक-अव्यय (indeed/for)

• अनेकशः: many times
• अनेकशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + शस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आवृत्तिवाचक (many times/in many ways)

• कथिताः: (they) have been told
• कथिताः: Karta (Predicate of implied subject: 'they')
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय (told/related)

• नृपतिश्रेष्ठ: O best of rulers
• नृपतिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपतीनां श्रेष्ठः)

• भूयः: further/again
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थक/अधिक्य (again/further)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (what)

• कथयामि: shall I tell / do I tell
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (to you)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate narrative context continuing into Adhyāya 14)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpaśreṣṭha (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm riverbank: the king listens, hands folded; the narrator-sage gestures gently toward the flowing Revā, indicating that direct sight surpasses words; the scene is quiet, with dusk light and minimal iconography.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of Revā is validated by ṛṣi-pramāṇa (seer testimony), encouraging faith in the tīrtha’s timeless power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā as a whole—her origin and recurring cosmic manifestation are the focus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse functions as narrative closure and affirmation of what has been taught.