Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तावद्गर्जन्ति तीर्थानि नद्यो हृदयफलप्रदाः । यावन्न स्मर्यते रेवा सेवाहेवा कलौ नरैः

Transliteration

tāvadgarjanti tīrthāni nadyo hṛdayaphalapradāḥ | yāvanna smaryate revā sevāhevā kalau naraiḥ

Translation

Tant que Revā n’est pas rappelée par les hommes en l’âge de Kali, par le service et l’invocation, d’autres tīrthas et rivières grondent, se disant dispensateurs des vœux du cœur.

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/परिमाणवाचक (correlative adverb: 'so long')

• गर्जन्ति: roar, resound
• गर्जन्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• नद्यः: rivers
• नद्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• हृदयफलप्रदाः: granting the fruit desired in the heart
• हृदयफलप्रदाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛdaya + phala + pradā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (हृदयस्य फलम् प्रददाति) विशेषणम् (नद्यः)

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (correlative: 'until/as long as')

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• स्मर्यते: is remembered
• स्मर्यते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• रेवा: Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवा: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: revā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सेवा: service (as a cry)
• सेवा: Sambandha (Discourse/exclamatory)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sevā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; वाक्ये उद्गार/अनुकरण (elliptic exclamation)

• हेवा: a cry of acclaim (hevā)
• हेवा: Sambandha (Interjection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hevā (अव्यय/निपात-प्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्गार/अनुकरण-शब्दः (interjection/onomatopoetic cry)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्; कर्तृ-करण-भावः कर्मणि (agent in passive)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified tīrthas and rivers boast like roaring lions, then fall silent as a devotee chants ‘Revā’ and serves at the riverbank; Revā shines, calming all.

Characters & Entities

• Revā
• Tīrthas
• Rivers
• Kali Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali yuga, remembrance and service of Revā eclipses the proclaimed powers of other tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā), highlighted as the preeminent object of smṛti (remembrance) and sevā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa (remembering) and sevā (devotional service) of Revā, framed as Kali-yuga-accessible practice.