Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ग्रामे वा यदि वारण्ये पुण्या सर्वत्र नर्मदा । रेवातीरे वसेन्नित्यं रेवातोयं सदा पिबेत्

Transliteration

grāme vā yadi vāraṇye puṇyā sarvatra narmadā | revātīre vasennityaṃ revātoyaṃ sadā pibet

Translation

村にあっても森にあっても、ナルマダーは遍く聖なる河である。常にレーヴァーの岸に住み、絶えずレーヴァーの水を飲むべきである。

Word by Word

• ग्रामे: in a village
• ग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: 'if')

• वारण्ये: in a forest
• वारण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुण्या: holy
• पुण्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: 'everywhere')

• नर्मदा: Narmadā (river)
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• रेवातीरे: on the bank of Revā
• रेवातीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'of Revā' + 'bank'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वसेत्: should dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• नित्यं: always
• नित्यं: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: 'always/constantly')

• रेवातोयं: Revā-water
• रेवातोयं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'water of Revā'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: 'always')

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual attribution within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Narmadā riverbank with a small āśrama; devotees drawing water, performing ācamana, and living simply amid village and forest settings to show ‘everywhere’ holiness.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Narmadā’s sanctity is not confined to one spot; constant association with the river is praised as a direct path to merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-tīra—the banks of the Narmadā (Revā) broadly, emphasizing the river’s pervasive holiness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vāsa (dwelling) on the riverbank and pāna (drinking) of Revā’s water are recommended.