Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

इदं पवित्रमतुलं रेवायाश्चरितं द्विजाः । शृणोति यः कीर्तयते मुच्यते सर्वपातकः

Transliteration

idaṃ pavitramatulaṃ revāyāścaritaṃ dvijāḥ | śṛṇoti yaḥ kīrtayate mucyate sarvapātakaḥ

Translation

Ô deux-fois-nés, voici le récit incomparable et purificateur de Revā ; quiconque l’écoute ou le proclame est délivré de tout péché.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पवित्रम्: pure, sacred
• पवित्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (इदम्/चरितम्)

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (इदम्/चरितम्)

• रेवायाः: of Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवायाः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• चरितम्: deed(s), account, narrative
• चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा (vocative sense)

• शृणोति: hears
• शृणोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कीर्तयते: recites, praises
• कीर्तयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; नामधातु from कीर्ति)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• मुच्यते: is freed, is released
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वपातकः: all sin(s); the (person) burdened with all sins
• सर्वपातकः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पातक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः (सर्वं पातकं = all sin; here 'one with all sins' or 'all sin' as a collective)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) carita/mahātmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of dvijas and pilgrims seated on a ghāṭ or in a temple hall; a reciter holds a palm-leaf manuscript; the river glows in the background; dark ‘pātaka’ smoke lifts away as sound-waves radiate.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Dwijas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (hearing) and kīrtana (recitation) of sacred tīrtha-narratives are themselves transformative practices that destroy pāpa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā, through her māhātmya (glorifying narrative).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listening to and reciting the Revā-carita (Purāṇa-pāṭha/pravacana) is recommended.