Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अनेकविद्याधरकिन्नराद्यैरध्यासितं पुण्यतमाधिवासैः । रेवाजलं धारयतो हि मूर्ध्ना स्थानं सुरेन्द्राधिपतेः समीपे

Transliteration

anekavidyādharakinnarādyairadhyāsitaṃ puṇyatamādhivāsaiḥ | revājalaṃ dhārayato hi mūrdhnā sthānaṃ surendrādhipateḥ samīpe

Translation

അത്യന്തം പുണ്യലോകങ്ങളിലെ നിവാസികളായ വിദ്യാധരന്മാർ, കിന്നരന്മാർ മുതലായവർ ആ പ്രദേശത്തെ ആശ്രയിക്കുന്നു. റേവാ (നർമദാ) ജലം ശിരസ്സിൽ ധരിക്കുന്നവൻ ദേവാധിപനായ ഇന്ദ്രന്റെ സമീപത്ത് സ്ഥാനം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अनेकविद्याधरकिन्नराद्यैः: by many Vidyādharas, Kinnaras and others
• अनेकविद्याधरकिन्नराद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्याधर (प्रातिपदिक) + किन्नर (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—अनेकविद्याधरकिन्नरादि (तत्पुरुषः; ‘अनेकाः विद्याधराः किन्नराः आदयः’ इति)

• अध्यासितम्: inhabited/occupied
• अध्यासितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-आस् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘अध्यासितम्’ = ‘occupied/inhabited’

• पुण्यतमाधिवासैः: by the most holy dwellings/abodes
• पुण्यतमाधिवासैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्यतम (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—पुण्यतमाधिवास (कर्मधारयः: ‘पुण्यतमाः अधिवासाः’)

• रेवाजलम्: the water of the Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवाजलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—रेवाजल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘रेवायाः जलम्’)

• धारयतः: of (him) who bears/holds
• धारयतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ/वर्तमानकृदन्त), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘धारयतः’ = ‘of (one) holding/bearing’

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• मूर्ध्ना: on (his) head
• मूर्ध्ना: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• स्थानम्: the place/abode
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सुरेन्द्राधिपतेः: of the lord of the king of gods (i.e., of Brahmā/Śiva per context)
• सुरेन्द्राधिपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः—सुरेन्द्राधिपति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘सुरेन्द्रस्य अधिपतिः’)

• समीपे: near
• समीपे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गार्थे/देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king) implied by address in the surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Narmadā (Revā) flows through a tīrtha landscape; Vidyādharas and Kinnaras hover and worship while a pilgrim bears a kalasha of Revā water upon his head, with Indra’s celestial court suggested in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Vidyādharas
• Kinnaras
• Indra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent handling of sacred water is itself a meritorious act leading to elevated spiritual reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā and the holy region associated with her waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhāraṇa of Revā-jala on the head (mūrdhni)—a devotional carrying/holding of sacred water.