Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ध्रुवं लोके हितार्थाय शिवेन स्वशरीरतः । शक्तिः कापि सरिद्रूपा रेवेयमवतारिता

Transliteration

dhruvaṃ loke hitārthāya śivena svaśarīrataḥ | śaktiḥ kāpi saridrūpā reveyamavatāritā

Translation

Assurément, pour le bien du monde, Śiva fit descendre de son propre corps une Puissance divine, sous la forme d’une rivière : cette Revā.

Word by Word

• ध्रुवं: surely
• ध्रुवं: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative: 'surely')

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• हितार्थाय: for the sake of welfare
• हितार्थाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hita + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (4th/Dative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (हितस्य अर्थः)

• शिवेन: by Śiva
• शिवेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• स्वशरीरतः: from his own body
• स्वशरीरतः: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sva + śarīra + tas (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धितान्त)
• Form: अव्यय; पञ्चमी-अर्थे तसिल् (ablatival adverb: 'from'); तत्पुरुषः (स्वं शरीरम्)

• शक्तिः: power, divine energy
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• का: some
• का: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite with api)

• अपि: indeed, some
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितार्थ-समर्थक (particle with interrogative: 'some')

• सरिद्रूपा: having the form of a river
• सरिद्रूपा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarid + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (सरितः रूपम्) विशेषणम् (शक्तिः)

• रेवा: Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवा: Karta/Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: revā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; शक्तेः अभेदेन नाम

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: Karta/Viśeṣya
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अवतारिता: was made to descend, was manifested
• अवतारिता: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु) + त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्तः; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-भावः (brought down/caused to descend)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva radiates a stream of luminous śakti from his body that becomes a flowing river on earth; devas shower flowers as the river descends to nourish the world.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śakti
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Revā is declared a divine descent for universal welfare—Śiva’s own śakti manifesting as sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā as a goddess-river whose very origin is Śaiva and salvific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse provides the mythic-theological foundation for reverence, snāna, and pilgrimage to Revā.