Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सर्वेषां नर्मदा पुण्या रुद्रदेहाद्विनिःसृता । सर्वाभ्यश्च सरिद्भ्यश्च वरदानान्महात्मनः

Transliteration

sarveṣāṃ narmadā puṇyā rudradehādviniḥsṛtā | sarvābhyaśca saridbhyaśca varadānānmahātmanaḥ

Translation

Parmi tous les fleuves, la Narmadā est sainte, car elle jaillit du propre corps de Rudra. Par la puissance d’accorder des grâces de ce Seigneur à la grande âme, elle surpasse tous les autres cours d’eau.

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पुण्या: holy
• पुण्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नर्मदाया विशेषणम्

• रुद्रदेहात्: from Rudra’s body
• रुद्रदेहात्: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य देहः = Rudra’s body)

• विनिःसृता: has issued forth
• विनिःसृता: Kriyā (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + निः + सृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; “issued forth/emerged”

• सर्वाभ्यः: from/than all
• सर्वाभ्यः: Apadana (Comparison/source: ‘than/from’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन; सरिद्भ्यः इति विशेषण (from all)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• सरिद्भ्यः: from/than (other) rivers
• सरिद्भ्यः: Apadana (Comparison/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन (ablative plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• वरदानात्: because of the granting of boons
• वरदानात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (because of the boon-giving)

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (genitive singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narmadā personified as a luminous river-goddess emerging from Rudra’s body or from his side/heart as a stream of light-water; other rivers appear as attendant figures, acknowledging her primacy; Śiva’s boon-bestowing gesture dominates.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Rudra (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is rooted in divine source; Narmadā’s origin in Rudra establishes her exceptional purifying status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) as a foremost river-tīrtha, explicitly connected to Rudra/Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse is a doctrinal praise that supports practices like snāna, dāna, and pilgrimage along Narmadā.