Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तैर्जपद्भिस्तपद्भिश्च सततं द्विजसत्तमैः । भ्राजते सा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा ताराभिर्द्यौर्ग्रहैरिव

Transliteration

tairjapadbhistapadbhiśca satataṃ dvijasattamaiḥ | bhrājate sā saricchreṣṭhā tārābhirdyaurgrahairiva

Translation

最勝の二度生まれ（ドヴィジャ）たちが常にジャパとタパスに励むゆえに、その最上の河は、星々と惑星に輝く天空のように光り映える。

Word by Word

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• जपद्भिः: by (those) chanting
• जपद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'जपद्भिः' = by those who chant

• तपद्भिः: by (those) performing austerity
• तपद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'तपद्भिः' = by those doing penance

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-रूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverbial accusative)

• द्विज-सत्तमैः: by the best brāhmaṇas (twice-born)
• द्विज-सत्तमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'द्विजानां सत्तमाः' (best of the twice-born)

• भ्राजते: shines
• भ्राजते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• सा: she (that river)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सरित्-श्रेष्ठा: the best of rivers
• सरित्-श्रेष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'सरितां श्रेष्ठा' (best among rivers)

• ताराभिः: with stars
• ताराभिः: Upamāna-sādhana (Instrument in simile/उपमान-साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• द्यौः: the sky
• द्यौः: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; 'द्यौः' = sky/heaven

• ग्रहैः: with planets
• ग्रहैः: Upamāna-sādhana (Instrument in simile/उपमान-साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; 'ग्रह' = planets

• इव: like
• इव: Upamā-dyotaka (Simile marker/उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda Purāṇa narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night or twilight on the Narmadā: the river gleams; along the bank, many brahmin sages sit in japa and stand in austerity, appearing like stars; the sky-river mirroring creates a cosmic tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Brahmins (dvija-sattama)
• stars (tārā)
• planets (graha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s glory is magnified by the sustained spiritual disciplines of realized practitioners.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā, praised as ‘the best of rivers’ in the Revā-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous japa and tapas performed by dvija-sattamas (exemplary Brahmins).