Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

सर्वतीर्थावगाहाच्च यत्फलं सागरादिषु । सकृच्छ्रुत्वा च माहात्म्यं रेवायास्तत्फलं लभेत्

Transliteration

sarvatīrthāvagāhācca yatphalaṃ sāgarādiṣu | sakṛcchrutvā ca māhātmyaṃ revāyāstatphalaṃ labhet

Translation

സമുദ്രാദി എല്ലാ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലും സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഫലം, റേവയുടെ മഹാത്മ്യം ഒരിക്കൽ ശ്രവണമാത്രം ചെയ്താൽ അതേ ഫലമായി ലഭിക്കും.

Word by Word

• sarva-tīrtha-avagāhāt: from bathing/immersion in all sacred fords
• sarva-tīrtha-avagāhāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (तीर्थ-प्रातिपदिक) + avagāha (अवगाह-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु अवगाहः/अवगाहनम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• yat: which
• yat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत्

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (सन्दर्भे फलम् = यत्फलम्)

• sāgara-ādiṣu: in oceans and the like
• sāgara-ādiṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāgara (सागर-प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (आदि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सागरादयः)

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb: once)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु) → śrutvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• māhātmyam: glory, sacred greatness
• māhātmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (माहात्म्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• revāyāḥ: of Reva (Narmadā)
• revāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: revā (रेवा-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तद् (correlative)

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (लभ् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic map-like montage: ocean, confluences, lakes, and famous ghāṭas appear as small vignettes around a central scene of a devotee hearing Revā-māhātmya—signifying ‘all tīrthas’ gathered into one act.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Tīrthas
• Sāgara (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-benefit is accessible through devotion and attentive hearing of a sacred place’s māhātmya, not only through extensive travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā, whose māhātmya is said to confer the fruit of bathing at all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa of the Revā-māhātmya is highlighted; bathing (avaghāha) is referenced as a comparative rite.