Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

चतुर्दश पुरा कल्पा न मृता येषु नर्मदा । तानहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि देवी प्राह यथा मम

Transliteration

caturdaśa purā kalpā na mṛtā yeṣu narmadā | tānahaṃ sampravakṣyāmi devī prāha yathā mama

Translation

ಪುರಾತನದಲ್ಲಿ ನರ್ಮದೆ ‘ಸತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ’—ಅಂದರೆ ಲಯವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ—ಎಂಬ ಹದಿನಾಲ್ಕು ಕಲ್ಪಗಳಿದ್ದವು. ದೇವಿ ನನಗೆ ಹೇಳಿದಂತೆ ಅವನ್ನು ನಾನು ಈಗ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ।

Word by Word

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दशन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (here) प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे ‘fourteen’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: अधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (formerly)

• कल्पाः: aeons
• कल्पाः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• मृता: dead
• मृता: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √मृ)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नर्मदाया विशेषण

• येषु: in which
• येषु: अधिकरण (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तान्: those (aeons)
• तान्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will fully tell
• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: सम्+प्र

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: कर्ता (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘said’

• यथा: as
• यथा: सम्बन्ध (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as/according to)

• मम: to me/of me
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

Speaker

A Purāṇic narrator (citing revelation from Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker prepares to recite fourteen kalpas where Revā does not cease, explicitly citing that the Goddess herself told him—suggesting a prior vision or divine audience.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Devī (Goddess)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is validated through divine revelation—Narmadā’s greatness is taught as a truth disclosed by the Goddess.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā/Revā, whose uninterrupted sanctity across kalpas is being introduced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse serves as a preface to a doctrinal list used to inspire pilgrimage and worship.