Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

नर्मदातीरमाश्रित्य शाकमूलफलैरपि । एकस्मिन्भोजिते विप्रे कोटि भोजफलं लभेत

Transliteration

narmadātīramāśritya śākamūlaphalairapi | ekasminbhojite vipre koṭi bhojaphalaṃ labheta

Translation

S’étant établi sur la rive sacrée de la Narmadā, fût-ce avec de simples herbes, racines et fruits, nourrir un seul brāhmaṇa procure un mérite égal à celui de nourrir dix millions.

Word by Word

• नर्मदा-तीरम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तीरम्)

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), ‘having resorted to/after taking refuge’

• शाक-मूल-फलैः: with vegetables, roots, and fruits
• शाक-मूल-फलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (शाकानि च मूलानि च फलानि च)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘even/also’

• एकस्मिन्: in/for one
• एकस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in one (person/instance)’

• भोजिते: when fed
• भोजिते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोजित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भुज्/भोज् caus.)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘when (someone) is fed’

• विप्रे: (in the case of) a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रे: Adhikarana (Reference/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘in/with respect to a brāhmaṇa’

• कोटि: a crore
• कोटि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक ‘a crore’

• भोज-फलम्: the fruit of feeding
• भोज-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भोजस्य फलम्)

• लभेत: would obtain
• लभेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘would obtain’

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet Narmadā riverbank with a small leaf-plate meal of greens, roots, and fruits offered to a seated brāhmaṇa; the donor stands with folded hands; the river glows as a sacred witness.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Narmadā
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed in a sanctified landscape multiplies in merit; purity of place and intention outweigh luxury of offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbank (Narmadā-tīra) is presented as an especially merit-amplifying tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhojana/annadāna: feeding even one brāhmaṇa at the Narmadā bank, even with simple foods.