Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

उत्तरे जाह्नवीदेशे महापातकनाशिनी । भवामि दक्षिणे मार्गे यद्येवं सुरपूजिता

Transliteration

uttare jāhnavīdeśe mahāpātakanāśinī | bhavāmi dakṣiṇe mārge yadyevaṃ surapūjitā

Translation

ഉത്തരത്തിലെ ജാഹ്നവീദേശത്ത് അവൾ ‘മഹാപാതകനാശിനി’യായി പ്രസിദ്ധയാണ്; അതുപോലെ ദേവന്മാർ ഇങ്ങനെ പൂജിച്ചാൽ ദക്ഷിണമാർഗ്ഗത്തിൽ ഞാനും അങ്ങനെ ഭവിക്കട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• उत्तरे: in the northern (part)
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (देशे)

• जाह्नवीदेशे: in the land of Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नवीदेशे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी-देश (प्रातिपदिक; जाह्नवी + देश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महापातकनाशिनी: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक-नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पातक + नाशिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अहं/नदी)

• भवामि: I become / I am
• भवामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/वर्तमान), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दक्षिणे: in the southern (part)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (मार्गे)

• मार्गे: on the path/route
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• एवं: thus/in this way
• एवं: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवं (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सुरपूजिता: worshipped by gods
• सुरपूजिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर-पूजित (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + पूजित)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अहं/नदी)

Speaker

Sarid (the River-goddess; Revā/Narmadā in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā as 'mahāpātaka-nāśinī' (by analogy to Jāhnavī)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic map-like tableau: to the north, Gaṅgā personified with हिमालय backdrop; to the south/central route, Revā personified; devas offer flowers to Revā, indicating 'surapūjitā' and her aspiration to be known as a great-sin destroyer like Gaṅgā.

Characters & Entities

• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and liberation are not confined to one geography; divine grace can establish equivalent sanctity in another sacred landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā is positioned as the southern counterpart to Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit worship (pūjā) by devas and devotees that establishes and maintains tīrtha-mahima.