Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

महासरःसरित्पातैरदृश्यां दृश्यरूपिणीम् । वन्द्यमानां सुरैः सिद्धैर्मुनिसङ्घैश्च भारत

Transliteration

mahāsaraḥsaritpātairadṛśyāṃ dṛśyarūpiṇīm | vandyamānāṃ suraiḥ siddhairmunisaṅghaiśca bhārata

Translation

Ô Bhārata, tout à la fois elle était invisible—voilée par de vastes lacs, des rivières et des cascades—et pourtant elle se montrait en forme visible, honorée par les dieux, les Siddhas et les assemblées de sages.

Word by Word

• महासरः-सरित्-पातैः: by the falls/cascades of great lakes and rivers
• महासरः-सरित्-पातैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• अदृश्याम्: invisible
• अदृश्याम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदृश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• दृश्य-रूपिणीम्: having a visible form
• दृश्य-रूपिणीम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• वन्द्यमानाम्: being worshipped
• वन्द्यमानाम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्द्यमान (कृदन्त; √वन्द्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• सिद्धैः: by the Siddhas
• सिद्धैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• मुनि-सङ्घैः: by groups of sages
• मुनि-सङ्घैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing a royal listener as ‘Bhārata’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) and her associated tīrtha-network

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (royal addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narmadā is veiled by a network of great lakes, tributary falls, and cascades, yet appears in radiant form while devas, siddhas, and sages worship her.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Suras
• Siddhas
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is both transcendent and immanent: Narmadā can be hidden to ordinary sight yet remains a manifest goddess revered by perfected beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha as a whole, portrayed as universally worshipped across the divine and sage realms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship/veneration (vandana) is implied; no specific procedural injunction is given in this verse.