Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

त्रिंशज्जन्मार्जितं पापं नश्येद्रेवावगाहनात् । तस्मात्त्वं नर्मदातीरं गत्वा चर तपो महत्

Transliteration

triṃśajjanmārjitaṃ pāpaṃ naśyedrevāvagāhanāt | tasmāttvaṃ narmadātīraṃ gatvā cara tapo mahat

Translation

Le péché amassé durant trente naissances s’anéantit par le bain dans la sainte Revā. Va donc sur la rive de la Narmadā et accomplis une grande austérité.

Word by Word

• triṃśat: thirty
• triṃśat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: triṃśat (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासे पूर्वपदत्वेन (numeral used as prior member)

• janma: birth
• janma: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपदम् (genitive relation in compound)

• ārjitam: acquired/earned
• ārjitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √arj (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (agreeing with pāpam)

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचनम्

• naśyet: would perish
• naśyet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• revā: Revā (Narmadā)
• revā: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: revā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपदम् (of Revā)

• avagāhanāt: from bathing/immersion
• avagāhanāt: Apādāna/Hetu (Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avagāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगानुसार); पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान) एकवचनम्; हेतौ (cause)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Sambandha (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे/तस्मात्-प्रयोगः (therefore)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता) एकवचनम्

• narmadā: Narmadā
• narmadā: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपदम् (of Narmadā)

• tīram: bank/shore
• tīram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचनम्

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √gam (धातु) + tvā (त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• cara: practice/do
• cara: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचनम्

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with tapaḥ)

Speaker

Nandin

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-figure (Nandin) urges a seeker toward the Narmadā; the riverbank glows with tīrtha-aura, suggesting purification and resolve for tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rivers, especially Revā/Narmadā, are upheld as powerful means of purification when approached with discipline and tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (the Narmadā River) and her banks (Narmadā-tīra) are explicitly praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Revā-avagāhana (ritual immersion/bathing) and undertaking tapas on the Narmadā’s bank.