Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तथ्यं ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । नर्मदामागताः सर्वे देवा ह्यग्निपुरोगमाः

Transliteration

tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tathyaṃ brahmaṇaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ | narmadāmāgatāḥ sarve devā hyagnipurogamāḥ

Translation

Entendant l’injonction véridique de Brahmā, le Seigneur suprême (Parameṣṭhin), tous les dieux—menés par Agni—vinrent à la Narmadā.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (वचनम् इत्यस्य विशेषणवत्)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तथ्यम्: true
• तथ्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वचनम्)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• परमेष्ठिनः: of the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin)
• परमेष्ठिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः विशेषण/उपाधि

• नर्मदाम्: to the Narmadā
• नर्मदाम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आगताः: having come
• आगताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (देवाः)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• अग्नि-पुरोगमाः: with Agni in the lead
• अग्नि-पुरोगमाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (अग्निः पुरोगमः येषां ते)

Speaker

Unspecified Purāṇic narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā/Revā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of devas led by Agni approaches the Narmadā after hearing Brahmā’s truthful command; the riverbank opens like a sacred threshold.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Agni
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are sanctified through divine intention and disciplined arrival for dharma—obedience to truthful instruction is itself meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) river-region, where the Devatīrtha is established and later praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite here; it narrates the divine pilgrimage to the Narmadā as the prelude to tapas and tīrtha-creation.