Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

एवंविधैर्व्रतैर्नित्यं नर्मदां ये समाश्रिताः । ते मृता वैष्णवं यान्ति पदं वा शैवमव्ययम्

Transliteration

evaṃvidhairvratairnityaṃ narmadāṃ ye samāśritāḥ | te mṛtā vaiṣṇavaṃ yānti padaṃ vā śaivamavyayam

Translation

നിത്യം നർമദയെ ആശ്രയിച്ച് ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള വ്രതങ്ങൾ നിരന്തരം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നവർ, മരണാനന്തരം അവ്യയമായ പദം—വൈഷ്ണവമോ ശൈവമോ—പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• एवंविधैः: by such (kinds of)
• एवंविधैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषण; अव्ययीभावः (एवं-विध = of such a kind)

• व्रतैः: vows/observances
• व्रतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (accusative used adverbially); क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नर्मदाम्: the Narmadā (river)
• नर्मदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम

• समाश्रिताः: having taken refuge in / resorted to
• समाश्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्-, आ-; ‘having resorted to’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मृताः: (when) dead / after death
• मृताः: Kāla/Avadhāraṇa (Condition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक; √मृ धातोः क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (those who have died)

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पदम्)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• पदम्: abode/state
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• शैवम्: Śaiva
• शैवम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पदम्)

• अव्ययम्: imperishable
• अव्ययम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पदम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of Narmadā-vrata practitioners—some with Śiva marks (tripuṇḍra), some with Vaiṣṇava ūrdhva-puṇḍra—perform daily rites on the riverbank; above, two radiant paths open: one toward Kailāsa-like Śaiva realm, one toward Vaikuṇṭha-like Vaiṣṇava realm, both shining as imperishable.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady vow-observance at a sacred river leads to enduring spiritual attainment, transcending sectarian boundaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā), as a refuge for continuous vrata and sādhana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular observance of the described vows (vrata) while living in reliance upon Narmadā.