Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तावद्गर्जन्ति यज्ञाश्च वनक्षेत्रादयो भृशम् । यावन्न नर्मदानामकीर्तनं क्रियते कलौ

Transliteration

tāvadgarjanti yajñāśca vanakṣetrādayo bhṛśam | yāvanna narmadānāmakīrtanaṃ kriyate kalau

Translation

Tant qu’en l’âge de Kali n’est pas accompli le chant du Nom de Narmadā, les sacrifices et les lieux saints renommés—forêts, champs sacrés et autres—proclament bruyamment leur grandeur.

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (so long)

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

• यज्ञाः: sacrifices
• यज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• वनक्षेत्रादयः: forests, sacred fields, and the like
• वनक्षेत्रादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana + kṣetra + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; द्वन्द्वः (वनं च क्षेत्रं च) + आदि-प्रत्ययार्थ (etc.)

• भृशम्: greatly, intensely
• भृशम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhṛśam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'excessively')

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

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

• नर्मदानामकीर्तनम्: chanting/recitation of Narmadā’s name
• नर्मदानामकीर्तनम्: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā + nāma + kīrtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः नाम्नः कीर्तनम्)

• क्रियते: is done, is performed
• क्रियते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Grand yajña fires and renowned forests/holy fields personified proclaim greatness, but a chorus chanting ‘Narmadā’ causes their flames to soften and their voices to quiet, as the river-goddess radiates supremacy.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Yajña
• Kali Yuga
• Vana
• Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali yuga, nāma-kīrtana of Narmadā is elevated as a powerful practice surpassing many public religious claims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā/Revā—specifically her nāma (name) as a portable tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Narmadā-nāma-kīrtana (chanting/praising the name of Narmadā), emphasized as Kali-yuga-suitable practice.