Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

षष्टितीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टिकोटिस्तथैव च । आदिमध्यावसानेषु नर्मदायां पदे पदे

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭitīrthasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭikoṭistathaiva ca | ādimadhyāvasāneṣu narmadāyāṃ pade pade

Translation

നർമദയുടെ ആരംഭത്തിലും മദ്ധ്യത്തിലും അവസാനംതിലും—പടിപടിയായി—അറുപതിനായിരം തീർത്ഥങ്ങളും, അതുപോലെ അറുപതു കോടി പുണ്യസാന്നിധ്യങ്ങളും നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു।

Word by Word

• षष्टितीर्थसहस्राणि: sixty thousand tīrthas
• षष्टितीर्थसहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि + तीर्थ + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); संख्याविशिष्टं नाम (numerically qualified)

• षष्टिकोटिः: sixty crores
• षष्टिकोटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (also/so)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• आदि-मध्य-अवसानेषु: at the beginning, middle, and end (points)
• आदि-मध्य-अवसानेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + मध्य + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (enumerative)

• नर्मदायाम्: in/on the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पदे: at each step/place
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

• पदे: at each step/place
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping river panorama of Narmadā: from forested source to broad midstream to estuary; along both banks countless small shrines, liṅgas, ghāṭs, sages, and pilgrims—suggesting ‘pāda-pade’ tīrthas.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Narmadā is portrayed as a continuous field of holiness—pilgrimage along her banks is itself a step-by-step encounter with tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The entire Narmadā river corridor is glorified as an ever-present tīrtha network from origin through midstream to end.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly supports tīrtha-yātrā and parikramā-style devotion: moving along the Narmadā is meritorious due to ‘pade pade’ tīrthas.