Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । दानवानां विघातार्थं नर्मदातटमास्थिताः । तपः कुरुध्वं स्वस्थाः स्थ तपो हि परमं बलम्

Transliteration

brahmovāca | dānavānāṃ vighātārthaṃ narmadātaṭamāsthitāḥ | tapaḥ kurudhvaṃ svasthāḥ stha tapo hi paramaṃ balam

Translation

ブラフマーは言った。「ダーナヴァを滅するため、ナルマダーの岸に立て。タパス（苦行）を修し、揺るがずに在れ。まことにタパスこそ至高の力である。」

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• दानवानाम्: of the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• विघातार्थम्: for the destruction
• विघातार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघात (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विघातस्य अर्थः)

• नर्मदा-तटम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तटम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तटम्)

• आस्थिताः: having taken refuge/standing (there)
• आस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरुध्वम्: do (you all)
• कुरुध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• स्वस्थाः: composed/steady
• स्वस्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• स्थ: be
• स्थ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे/निश्चयार्थे

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (बलम्)

• बलम्: strength
• बलम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (led by Agni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā instructs the assembled devas to take position on the Narmadā’s bank and perform severe tapas for the destruction of Dānavas; the river gleams as a sanctifying boundary between worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Dānavāḥ
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is presented as the supreme force—inner discipline surpasses mere martial power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) riverbank is sanctified as the locus for transformative tapas leading to victory and siddhi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform tapas (austerities) while residing/standing at the Narmadā bank.