Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

आदिमध्यावसानेषु नर्मदाचरितं शुभम् । यः शृणोति नरो भक्त्या शृणुध्वं तत्फलं महत्

Transliteration

ādimadhyāvasāneṣu narmadācaritaṃ śubham | yaḥ śṛṇoti naro bhaktyā śṛṇudhvaṃ tatphalaṃ mahat

Translation

നർമദാ-ചരിതമെന്ന ഈ ശുഭാഖ്യാനം—ആദി, മധ്യ, അന്ത്യങ്ങളിൽ—ഭക്തിയോടെ ആരെല്ലാം ശ്രവിക്കുന്നുവോ, അതിന്റെ മഹത്തായ ഫലം ഇപ്പോൾ കേൾക്കുവിൻ।

Word by Word

• आदि: beginning
• आदि: Adhikarana (Locative context via compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (used as first member in compound; 'beginning')

• मध्य: middle
• मध्य: Adhikarana (Locative context via compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (used as compound member; 'middle')

• अवसान: end
• अवसान: Adhikarana (Locative context via compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (used as compound member; 'end/conclusion')

• आदि-मध्य-अवसानेषु: in the beginning, middle, and end
• आदि-मध्य-अवसानेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + मध्य + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (समाहार-द्वन्द्व): 'in the beginning, middle, and end'

• नर्मदा-चरितम्: the story/deeds of Narmadā
• नर्मदा-चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित (कृदन्त; √चर् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'नर्मदायाः चरितम्'

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying नर्मदाचरितम्)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यः (relative pronoun)

• शृणोति: he hears/listens
• शृणोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव: 'with devotion'

• शृणुध्वम्: hear (you all), listen
• शृणुध्वम्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तत्-फलम्: its fruit/result
• तत्-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'तस्य फलम्'

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तत्फलम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assemblage of devotees/ṛṣis (generic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated sūta/ācārya recites the Narmadā-māhātmya to attentive devotees; the river appears as a radiant goddess in the background, with the text’s beginning–middle–end symbolized by three lamps or three garlands.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti-filled listening to a sacred text, from start to finish, is presented as a complete and potent dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) is glorified through the praise of her carita/māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional śravaṇa of the Narmadā-carita in full (beginning, middle, and end).