Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

तदा रेवाजलं गत्वा स्नात्वा संतर्प्य देवताः । पित्ःंश्च भरतश्रेष्ठ दत्त्वा दानं स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

tadā revājalaṃ gatvā snātvā saṃtarpya devatāḥ | pitḥṃśca bharataśreṣṭha dattvā dānaṃ svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

Alors, ô le meilleur des Bhārata, se rendant aux eaux sacrées de la Revā (Narmadā), s’y baignant, rassasiant les dieux et les ancêtres, et faisant l’aumône selon ses moyens—

Word by Word

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'then')

• revā-jalam: the water of the Revā (Narmadā)
• revā-jalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: revā (प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (revāyāḥ jalam)

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकाले क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having gone'

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकाले क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (स्ना धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having bathed'

• saṃtarpya: having satisfied
• saṃtarpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकाले क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (तृप् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) with उपसर्ग 'सम्' (saṃ-), 'having satisfied/propitiated'

• devatāḥ: the deities
• devatāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• pitṝn: the ancestors (manes)
• pitṝn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• bharata-śreṣṭha: O best of the Bharatas
• bharata-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bharatānāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ)

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकाले क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having given'

• dānam: a gift, donation
• dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• sva-śaktitaḥ: according to one’s capacity
• sva-śaktitaḥ: Hetu/Pramāṇa (According to means/हेतु-प्रमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) 'from/according to one's ability'; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (svasya śaktiḥ) + तः

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed as bharataśreṣṭha / mahīpāla across the sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king and attendants at the Narmadā’s shimmering bank: ritual bathing, water-offerings to devas and ancestors, and humble charity to brahmins/poor, with river-goddess presence implied.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Devatās
• Pitṛs
• Bharataśreṣṭha (addressed listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit is cultivated through a balanced dharmic triad: purification (snāna), gratitude (tarpaṇa), and generosity (dāna).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) waters in the Mūlasthāna/Sūryatīrtha context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go to Revā, bathe, perform tarpaṇa for gods and ancestors, and give charity according to one’s means.