Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

इयं हि शांकरी शक्तिः कला शम्भोरिलाह्वया । नर्मदा दुरितध्वंसकारिणी भवतारिणी

Transliteration

iyaṃ hi śāṃkarī śaktiḥ kalā śambhorilāhvayā | narmadā duritadhvaṃsakāriṇī bhavatāriṇī

Translation

ഇവൾ ശാങ്കരീ ശക്തി—ശംഭുവിന്റെ തന്നെ ഒരു കല—‘ഇലാ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധ. ഇവളാണ് നർമദാ; പാപധ്വംസിനി, ഭവസാഗരതാരിണി।

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• शांकरी: of Śaṅkara
• शांकरी: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शांकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शक्तिः: power/energy
• शक्तिः: कर्ता (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कला: portion/manifestation
• कला: समानााधिकरण (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• इला: Ilā
• इला: समानााधिकरण (Name element)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• आह्वया: named/called
• आह्वया: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आह्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (named/called)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: समानााधिकरण (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुरितध्वंसकारिणी: destroyer of sins
• दुरितध्वंसकारिणी: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरित (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वंस (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिणी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √कृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दुरितस्य ध्वंसः → दुरितध्वंसः; तं करोति इति कारिणी)

• भवतारिणी: one who ferries across worldly existence
• भवतारिणी: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + तारिणी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √तॄ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भवस्य तारिणी)

Speaker

A Purāṇic narrator (contextual theological declaration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Revā personified as Śāṅkarī Śakti—radiant goddess arising from/identical with the river—bestowing purification and guiding beings across the ocean of becoming.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śambhu)
• Śakti (Śāṅkarī)
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Ilā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Narmadā is not merely water but a living Śakti of Śiva—able to destroy sin and lead devotees toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā/Revā as a divine tīrtha identified with Śiva’s power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse provides the doctrinal basis for snāna, japa, and pūjā at Narmadā as liberating practices.