Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तदहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि पुराणार्थविशारद । सप्त कल्पा महाघोरा यैरियं न मृता सरित्

Transliteration

tadahaṃ sampravakṣyāmi purāṇārthaviśārada | sapta kalpā mahāghorā yairiyaṃ na mṛtā sarit

Translation

അതിനാൽ ഇപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ വിശദീകരിക്കുന്നു, ഹേ പുരാണാർത്ഥവിശാരദ! അത്യന്തം ഘോരമായ ഏഴ് കല്പങ്ങളിലുമെങ്കിലും ഈ സരിത (രേവാ) നശിച്ചില്ല.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain/tell fully
• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पुराणार्थविशारद: O one skilled in the meaning of the Purāṇa
• पुराणार्थविशारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण + अर्थ + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुराणस्य अर्थे विशारदः)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; (यहाँ) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन-विशेषण

• कल्पाः: kalpas/aeons
• कल्पाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• महाघोराः: very terrible
• महाघोराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (महान्तः घोराः)

• यैः: by which/whereby
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• मृता: dead
• मृता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सरित्: river/stream
• सरित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇa-meaning knower addressed as 'purāṇārtha-viśārada' (or the inquirer so praised)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrator rises with resolve to expound; behind him the Revā appears personified as a radiant river-goddess flowing steadily while cosmic scenes of kalpa-change (dark skies, dissolving landscapes) fade in the distance—Revā remains unchanged.

Characters & Entities

• Revā/Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is cosmic in scope; the sacred river endures beyond ordinary time, inviting faith and pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā herself is glorified as an imperishable sacred river across kalpas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly here; the focus is on the river’s eternal sacred status.