Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

चरिते तु श्रुते देव्या लभते तादृशं फलम् । सर्वतीर्थेषु यत्पुण्यं स्नात्वा सागरमादितः

Transliteration

carite tu śrute devyā labhate tādṛśaṃ phalam | sarvatīrtheṣu yatpuṇyaṃ snātvā sāgaramāditaḥ

Translation

ദേവിയുടെ ചരിതം ശ്രവിച്ചാൽ അത്തരം ഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു—സമുദ്രം മുതലാക്കി എല്ലാ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലും സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യത്തിന് തുല്യം.

Word by Word

• चरिते: in/when (it is) recited/narrated
• चरिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (कृदन्त; √चर् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• श्रुते: in/when (it is) heard
• श्रुते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त; √श्रु धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• देव्याः: of the Goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकालः), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• तादृशम्: such; of that kind
• तादृशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: in all sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि तीर्थानि)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having bathed’

• सागरम्: the ocean
• सागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आदितः: from the beginning; first
• आदितः: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb): ‘from the beginning/firstly’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (as Devī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees listen to the Devī-Revā’s sacred account; above them, a visionary map-like procession of famous tīrthas—ocean shore, confluences, sacred rivers—appears as a garland, signifying ‘all-tīrtha snāna’ condensed into śravaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Narmadā)
• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Narmadā is revered as Devī; devotion through hearing her māhātmya can equal vast pilgrimage merits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) is glorified as the Goddess whose narrative grants sarva-tīrtha-level merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa of the Devī’s carita is commended and compared to the merit of snāna at all tīrthas (including the ocean).