Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

नर्मदाचरितं पुण्यं शृणु तस्यास्ति यत्फलम् । यत्फलं सर्ववेदैः स्यात्सषडङ्गपदक्रमैः

Transliteration

narmadācaritaṃ puṇyaṃ śṛṇu tasyāsti yatphalam | yatphalaṃ sarvavedaiḥ syātsaṣaḍaṅgapadakramaiḥ

Translation

നർമദാദേവിയുടെ പുണ്യചരിതം ശ്രവിക്ക; അതിന്റെ ഫലം—ഷഡംഗങ്ങളോടുകൂടി സർവ്വവേദങ്ങളെ പദക്രമമായി പാരായണം ചെയ്താൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഫലത്തോടു തുല്യം തന്നേ।

Word by Word

• नर्मदाचरितम्: the account/deeds of Narmadā
• नर्मदाचरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + चरित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; नर्मदाचरितम् इति विशेषण

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तस्याः: of her/of that (Narmadā)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; यत् इत्यस्य विशेष्य (head noun)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सर्ववेदैः: by all the Vedas
• सर्ववेदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• स्यात्: would be/may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सषडङ्गपदक्रमैः: with the six auxiliaries and the word-order/recitation steps
• सषडङ्गपदक्रमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + षडङ्ग + पदक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; 'सहित' अर्थे स-उपसर्ग (with)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya invites the king to hear Narmadā’s holy account; behind them symbolic imagery of the four Vedas and six Vedāṅgas appears as radiant manuscripts merging into the flowing river.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Vedas
• Vedāṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional listening to the Narmadā’s sacred narrative is exalted as a potent dharma-practice, comparable to extensive Vedic study.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) as a living tīrtha whose story itself bestows great merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (hearing) of Narmadā-carita is recommended as a merit-producing practice.