Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कियत्यः सरितां कोट्यो नर्मदां समुपासते । यज्ञोपवीतैरृषिभिर्देवताभिस्तथैव च

Transliteration

kiyatyaḥ saritāṃ koṭyo narmadāṃ samupāsate | yajñopavītairṛṣibhirdevatābhistathaiva ca

Translation

Combien de crores de rivières vénèrent Narmadā ? Et comment est-elle adorée par les ṛṣis portant le cordon sacré, ainsi que par les divinités ?

Word by Word

• कियत्यः: how many
• कियत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषणम्

• सरिताम्: of rivers
• सरिताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• कोट्यः: crores
• कोट्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• नर्मदाम्: Narmadā
• नर्मदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समुपासते: worship/attend upon
• समुपासते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• यज्ञोपवीतैः: with sacred threads
• यज्ञोपवीतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ-उपवीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य उपवीतम्)

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• देवताभिः: by deities
• देवताभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तथा-एव: just so/likewise indeed
• तथा-एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चयः; ‘तथा’ (adverb) + ‘एव’ (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

Speaker

An inquiring sage (listener) within the Revā Khaṇḍa dialogue

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (as sarva-nadī-śreṣṭhā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (questioner)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ceremonial riverbank: countless personified rivers as goddesses offer lotuses to Narmadā; Vedic sages with yajñopavīta perform arghya; devas hover with garlands and vessels; Narmadā enthroned as a flowing Devī.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Ṛṣi
• Devatā
• Yajñopavīta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sanctity is recognized across realms—by rivers, sages, and gods—affirming Narmadā’s exceptional tīrtha-mahattva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) herself as the preeminent sacred river-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only general worship/reverence (upāsanā) is implied; no specific vow, bath, or donation is detailed in this verse.