Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

न तेषां विस्तरं वक्तुं शक्तो ब्रह्मापि भूपते । योजनानां शतं साग्रं श्रूयते सरिदुत्तमा

Transliteration

na teṣāṃ vistaraṃ vaktuṃ śakto brahmāpi bhūpate | yojanānāṃ śataṃ sāgraṃ śrūyate sariduttamā

Translation

ഹേ ഭൂപതേ! അവരുടെ വിസ്താരം പൂർണ്ണമായി വിവരിക്കാൻ ബ്രഹ്മാവിനും കഴിയില്ല. ഈ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ നദി നൂറിലധികം യോജന വരെ വ്യാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു എന്നു ശ്രൂയതേ.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोग (pronoun)

• vistaram: extent, detail
• vistaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vaktum: to describe/say
• vaktum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), ‘वक्तुम्’ = to speak

• śaktaḥ: able
• śaktaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √śak)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तृविशेषण (adjective of subject)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• bhūpate: O king
• bhūpate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• yojanānām: of yojanas
• yojanānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• śatam: a hundred
• śatam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); संख्यावाचक (numeral)

• sāgram: with an additional (fraction), a little over
• sāgram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘स’ + ‘अग्र’ = सहित-अग्रेण (with an excess/over and above)

• śrūyate: is heard/it is said
• śrūyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• sariduttamā: the best river
• sariduttamā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarid-uttamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः ‘उत्तमा सरित्’

Speaker

Vāyu (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūpati/rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal listener is addressed while the narrator evokes the Narmadā’s immense length—her waters winding from mountain sources to the sea, with countless unseen tīrthas shimmering along the banks; Brahmā is implied as unable to finish the praise.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holiness of Revā’s tīrthas is portrayed as immeasurable—so vast that even cosmic knowledge cannot exhaust it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The entire Revā/Narmadā river-corridor and its multitude of tīrthas, rather than a single named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse supports the merit of extended pilgrimage along the river’s length.