Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

नर्मदा नाम विख्याता रुद्रदेहाद्विनिःसृता । यास्ताः कन्यास्त्वया दृष्टा ह्यर्चयन्त्यो महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

narmadā nāma vikhyātā rudradehādviniḥsṛtā | yāstāḥ kanyāstvayā dṛṣṭā hyarcayantyo maheśvaram

Translation

Je suis renommée sous le nom de Narmadā, jaillie du propre corps de Rudra. Et ces jeunes filles que tu as vues ici, en vérité, elles rendaient un culte à Maheśvara (Śiva).

Word by Word

• narmadā: Narmadā
• narmadā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Appositional marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देशक particle ‘by name’)

• vikhyātā: well-known
• vikhyātā: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + khyā (ख्या धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying Narmadā)

• rudra-dehāt: from Rudra’s body
• rudra-dehāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘रुद्रस्य देहः’ (Rudra’s body)

• viniḥsṛtā: emerged; flowed out
• viniḥsṛtā: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + nis + sṛ (सृ धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having issued forth’

• yāḥ: those who
• yāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• tāḥ: those
• tāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kanyāḥ: maidens
• kanyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• dṛṣṭāḥ: seen
• dṛṣṭāḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘seen’ (agreeing with kanyāḥ)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; emphasis/indeed)

• arcayantyaḥ: worshipping
• arcayantyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (अर्च् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘worshipping’

• maheśvaram: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narmadā-devī (personified river goddess)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra/brāhmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narmadā reveals herself as a radiant Devī arising from Rudra’s body/tejas; nearby, maidens (kanyās) perform Śiva-arcana with flowers and water on a liṅga by the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Rudra
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Narmadā is presented as a divine manifestation of Rudra, making Śiva-worship on her banks inherently sacred and power-bestowing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region—Narmadā-tīrthas within the Revākhaṇḍa of the Āvantya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-arcana (worship of Maheśvara) is highlighted through the maidens’ devotion.