Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

ततः सा ऋक्षशैलेन्द्रात्फेनपुञ्जाट्टहासिनी । विवेश नर्मदा देवी समुद्रं सरितां पतिम्

Transliteration

tataḥ sā ṛkṣaśailendrātphenapuñjāṭṭahāsinī | viveśa narmadā devī samudraṃ saritāṃ patim

Translation

Alors la déesse Narmadā, éclatant d’un rire sonore tel un amas d’écume, descendit du noble mont Ṛkṣa et entra dans l’Océan, seigneur des rivières.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (nominative singular)

• ऋक्ष-शैल-इन्द्रात्: from the lord of the Ṛkṣa mountain (Vindhya range)
• ऋक्ष-शैल-इन्द्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शैल (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; (ablative singular)

• फेन-पुञ्ज-अट्ट-हासिनी: she whose loud laughter was (like) a mass of foam
• फेन-पुञ्ज-अट्ट-हासिनी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फेन (प्रातिपदिक) + पुञ्ज (प्रातिपदिक) + अट्टहासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (nominative singular)

• विवेश: entered
• विवेश: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (3rd person singular perfect)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (nominative singular)

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (nominative singular)

• समुद्रम्: the ocean
• समुद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (accusative singular)

• सरिताम्: of rivers
• सरिताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; (genitive plural)

• पतिम्: lord, husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (accusative singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrating within Revā Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛkṣaśaila–Narmadā descent; Narmadā-samudra-praveśa

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the lordly Ṛkṣa mountain, Narmadā-devī rushes downward, laughing loudly like foaming spray; she enters the ocean, who stands as ‘lord of rivers’, waves rising to स्वागत (welcome) her.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā Devī
• Ṛkṣaśaila (mountain)
• Samudra (Ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Narmadā is portrayed as a living goddess whose journey—from mountain-source to ocean—models sacred movement from origin to fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies Narmadā’s mountain-source region and her ocean-entry, implying sanctity across her banks and confluences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the imagery supports pilgrimage (yātrā) along the river and reverence at confluence points.