Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

सरित्सागरपर्यन्ता वसुधा भस्मसात्कृता । वर्जयित्वा महाभागां नर्मदाममृतोपमाम्

Transliteration

saritsāgaraparyantā vasudhā bhasmasātkṛtā | varjayitvā mahābhāgāṃ narmadāmamṛtopamām

Translation

നദികളും സമുദ്രങ്ങളും ഉൾപ്പെടെ ഭൂമി മുഴുവനും ഭസ്മമായി; എന്നാൽ അമൃതസമയായ മഹാഭാഗ്യവതി നർമദയെ മാത്രം ഒഴിവാക്കി.

Word by Word

• सरित्सागरपर्यन्ता: extending to rivers and oceans (i.e., up to the seas)
• सरित्सागरपर्यन्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वसुधा); तत्पुरुष-समास (सरितां सागरस्य च पर्यन्तः/सीमा यस्याः)

• वसुधा: the earth
• वसुधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भस्मसात्कृता: was reduced to ashes
• भस्मसात्कृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भस्मसात् (अव्यय/निपात) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘made into ashes’

• वर्जयित्वा: excepting/leaving out
• वर्जयित्वा: Kriya (अपवाद/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्जय् (धातु; वर्ज् caus.)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having excluded/excepting’

• महाभागाम्: the greatly fortunate (one)
• महाभागाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (नर्मदाम्); कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्याः)

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

• अमृतोपमाम्: like nectar/nectar-like
• अमृतोपमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + उपमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (नर्मदाम्); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अमृतस्य उपमा इव)

Speaker

Narrator in the Revā Khaṇḍa (contextual purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pralaya-like scene: the land is grey-white ash, dried riverbeds and seas are gone, yet a single luminous ribbon of water—Narmadā—flows untouched, glowing like nectar.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Earth
• Rivers
• Oceans

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha is portrayed as nectar-like and uniquely protected; its sanctity surpasses ordinary cosmic processes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) is explicitly singled out as the exception during cosmic burning.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse functions as praise (māhātmya) to inspire pilgrimage and reverence.