Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

भित्त्वा महार्णवं क्षिप्रं यस्माल्लोकमिहागता । पूज्या सुरैश्च सिद्धैश्च तस्मादेषा महार्णवा

Transliteration

bhittvā mahārṇavaṃ kṣipraṃ yasmāllokamihāgatā | pūjyā suraiśca siddhaiśca tasmādeṣā mahārṇavā

Translation

Parce qu’elle a promptement fendu le grand océan et qu’elle est venue en ce monde, et parce qu’elle est vénérée par les devas et les siddhas, on la nomme donc « Mahārṇavā », Celle du Grand Océan.

Word by Word

• भित्त्वा: having split, breaking through
• भित्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी-प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणभावः (having split/after splitting)

• महार्णवम्: the great ocean
• महार्णवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् अर्णवः)

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• यस्मात्: from which
• यस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (from which/whence)

• लोकम्: world, region
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• आगता: (she) came, arrived
• आगता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘she came’

• पूज्या: worthy of worship
• पूज्या: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थक (gerundive: worthy to be worshipped), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुरैः: by/with the gods
• सुरैः: Karana/ Sahakaraka (Agent-instrument/with)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination particle)

• सिद्धैः: by/with the siddhas
• सिद्धैः: Karana/ Sahakaraka (Agent-instrument/with)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/निपातवत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे ‘therefore’ (originally abl. sg. used adverbially)

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• महार्णवा: (is called) Mahārṇavā
• महार्णवा: Pratijna/Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय; नामरूपेण (as a proper name/epithet)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahārṇavā (Revā/Narmadā epithet)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The river-goddess Revā manifests by ‘breaking through’ the cosmic ocean, attended by devas and siddhas offering worship; the waters surge with primordial force.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Mahārṇavā
• Devas
• Siddhas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The river’s cosmic origin and divine veneration establish her as a supreme refuge and object of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā as a cosmic tīrtha whose descent is mythically framed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; worship (pūjā) by gods and siddhas is cited as exemplary reverence.