Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

धन्यास्ते देशवर्यास्ते येषु देशेषु नर्मदा । नरकान्तकरी शश्वत्संश्रिता शर्वनिर्मिता

Transliteration

dhanyāste deśavaryāste yeṣu deśeṣu narmadā | narakāntakarī śaśvatsaṃśritā śarvanirmitā

Translation

Bénies sont ces terres—les meilleures des contrées—où coule la Narmadā : fleuve toujours demeurant, façonné par Śarva (Śiva), qui met fin aux sorts infernaux.

Word by Word

• धन्याः: blessed
• धन्याः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ते: those (places/people)
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• देशवर्याः: the best of regions
• देशवर्याः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देश + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारयः (वर्यः देशः = excellent country)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• येषु: in which
• येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• देशेषु: in the regions
• देशेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā (river)
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरकान्तकरी: ending hell (destroying hellish fate)
• नरकान्तकरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नरक + अन्त + करिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नरकस्य अन्तं करोति = ends hell)

• शश्वत्: always
• शश्वत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शश्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्वार्थक (adverb: always)

• संश्रिता: resorted to; inhabited
• संश्रिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (having been resorted to/abided in)

• शर्वनिर्मिता: created by Śarva (Śiva)
• शर्वनिर्मिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर्व + निर्मित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शर्वेण निर्मिता = made by Śarva/Śiva)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā/Revā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like panorama of fertile lands blessed by the flowing Narmadā; above, Śiva (Śarva) gestures creation; below, dark naraka imagery dissolves at the river’s touch, replaced by light and greenery.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Śarva (Śiva)
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A land becomes supremely blessed when it is connected to a divine tīrtha; the Narmadā, as Śiva’s manifestation, is portrayed as liberative and purifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) river and the regions along her banks within the Revā Khaṇḍa of the Āvantya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse primarily praises the sanctity of dwelling in or being connected to Narmadā-bearing lands.