Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । आश्चर्यभूतं लोकेषु नर्मदाचरितं महत् । त्वया वै कथितं विप्र सकलं पापनाशनम्

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | āścaryabhūtaṃ lokeṣu narmadācaritaṃ mahat | tvayā vai kathitaṃ vipra sakalaṃ pāpanāśanam

Translation

യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ലോകങ്ങളിൽ അത്ഭുതകരമായത് നർമദയുടെ മഹത്തായ ചരിതമാണ്. ഹേ വിപ്രാ, നിങ്ങൾ അതിനെ സമ്പൂർണ്ണ പാപനാശിനിയായി വിവരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (वचने)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आश्चर्यभूतम्: marvelous/wondrous
• आश्चर्यभूतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्चर्य-भूत (प्रातिपदिक; आश्चर्य + भूत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘भूत’ = कृदन्त (क्त) धातु: √भू (भवने); ‘लोकेषु’ इत्यत्र विशेषणभावः

• लोकेषु: in the worlds/among people
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अधिकरणम्

• नर्मदाचरितम्: the account/deeds of Narmadā
• नर्मदाचरितम्: Karma (Object of implied ‘(अस्ति/भवति)’ or of ‘कथितम्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-चरित (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + चरित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘चरित’ = कृदन्त (क्त) धातु: √चर् (गत्यर्थे/आचरणे)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘नर्मदाचरितम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument; by you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चय/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक

• कथितम्: told/related
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (कथने)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) used predicatively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (told)

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सकलम्: entire/complete
• सकलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पापनाशनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पापनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशनम्: Karma (Object/complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘नाशन’ = कृदन्त (ल्युट्) धातु: √नश् (नाशे)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa narrator (addressed as vipra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira speaks with wonder to a brāhmaṇa narrator, praising the great account of Narmadā as sin-destroying; a subtle vision of the river appears behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Narmadā
• vipra (brāhmaṇa narrator)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent hearing and recognition of tīrtha-māhātmya strengthens faith in dharma and inspires purification through sacred pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) and her sacred tradition (Narmadā-carita) broadly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse emphasizes śravaṇa/kathā (hearing sacred narration) and its sin-destroying framing.