Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

चेरुर्वै तत्र विपुलं तपः सिद्धिमवाप्नुवन् । तदाप्रभृति तत्तीर्थं देवतीर्थमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

cerurvai tatra vipulaṃ tapaḥ siddhimavāpnuvan | tadāprabhṛti tattīrthaṃ devatīrthamanuttamam

Translation

അവിടെ അവർ വിപുലമായ തപസ്സു അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച് സിദ്ധി പ്രാപിച്ചു. അന്നുമുതൽ ആ തീർത്ഥം ‘ദേവതീർത്ഥം’ എന്ന പേരിൽ അതുല്യമായ പുണ്യസ്നാനസ്ഥാനമായി പ്രസിദ്ധമായി.

Word by Word

• चेरुः: they wandered/dwelt
• चेरुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• विपुलम्: abundant, great
• विपुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• सिद्धिम्: attainment, success
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• अवाप्नुवन्: they obtained
• अवाप्नुवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• आप्रभृति: from then onward
• आप्रभृति: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आप्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘from (that time) onwards’ अर्थे

• तत्-तीर्थम्: that sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तत्-तीर्थम्: Karma/Pratipadyam (Object/Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nominative/accusative), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुषसमास (determinative)

• देव-तीर्थम्: the gods’ pilgrimage-place
• देव-तीर्थम्: Karma/Pratipadyam (Object/Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nominative/accusative), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुषसमास

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, supreme
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nominative/accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम्

Speaker

Unspecified Purāṇic narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devatīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa/narādhipa addressed in surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages performing intense tapas on the banks of Revā; a luminous ford marked as Devatīrtha, with subtle divine presence and a calm river current.

Characters & Entities

• Devatīrtha
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is rooted in tapas and siddhi; disciplined holiness generates enduring sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devatīrtha on the banks/region of the Revā (Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is highlighted as the sanctifying practice that leads to siddhi and tīrtha-glory.