Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

नर्मदा सर्वदा सेव्या बहुनोक्तेन किं नृप । यदीच्छेन्न पुनर्द्रष्टुं घोरं संसारसागरम्

Transliteration

narmadā sarvadā sevyā bahunoktena kiṃ nṛpa | yadīcchenna punardraṣṭuṃ ghoraṃ saṃsārasāgaram

Translation

ಹೇ ನೃಪ! ನರ್ಮದೆಯನ್ನು ಸದಾ ಸೇವಿಸಿ ಆರಾಧಿಸಬೇಕು; ಬಹಳ ಮಾತುಗಳೇಕೆ? ಯಾರು ಮತ್ತೆ ಭಯಂಕರ ಸಂಸಾರಸಾಗರವನ್ನು ನೋಡಬಾರದೆಂದು ಬಯಸುತ್ತಾರೋ.

Word by Word

• नर्मदा: Narmadā (Revā)
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• सेव्या: should be served/visited
• सेव्या: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/कर्तव्यता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सेव्या’ = ‘to be served/should be resorted to’

• बहुना: with much (speech)
• बहुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अत्र ‘बहु’ = ‘much’), तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• उक्तेन: by words/statement
• उक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √वच् क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘उक्तेन’ = ‘by what is said/with statement’

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थे/शर्तसूचक (conditional conjunction)

• इच्छेत्: one should wish
• इच्छेत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तुमुन्/infinitive), अव्ययभाव

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘संसारसागरम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• संसारसागरम्: the ocean of worldly existence
• संसारसागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—संसारसागर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘संसारस्य सागरः’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens as a sage points to the flowing Narmadā; the river appears as a compassionate goddess offering liberation, while the ‘ocean of saṃsāra’ is depicted as a dark, stormy expanse receding behind the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent devotion to Narmadā is upheld as a liberation-oriented discipline that cuts the cycle of rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) herself as the supreme moving tīrtha of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā (reverential service) to Narmadā—regular worship, pilgrimage, and honoring her waters (implied).