Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

नरनारायणौ द्वौ तावागतौ नर्मदातटे । ज्ञानं तस्यैव यो राजन्भक्तिमान्वै जनार्दने

Transliteration

naranārāyaṇau dvau tāvāgatau narmadātaṭe | jñānaṃ tasyaiva yo rājanbhaktimānvai janārdane

Translation

ആ രണ്ടുപേർ—നരനും നാരായണനും—നർമദാതീരത്ത് എത്തി. ഹേ രാജാവേ, ജനാർദനൻ (വിഷ്ണു)യിൽ ഭക്തിയുള്ളവനുടേതാണ് യഥാർത്ഥ ജ്ഞാനം.

Word by Word

• नरनारायणौ: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नरनारायणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (नरश्च नारायणश्च)

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; निर्देशार्थ-सर्वनाम

• आगतौ: having come, arrived
• आगतौ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; आ + √गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• नर्मदातटे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तटे)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

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

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• भक्तिमान्: devoted
• भक्तिमान्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + मत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मतुप्-अन्त (possessive adjective)

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

• जनार्दने: in/unto Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दने: Adhikarana (Object of devotion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (‘rājan’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nara and Nārāyaṇa arrive at the Narmadā bank; a king listens as the teaching is given: true knowledge belongs to the devotee of Janārdana.

Characters & Entities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Janārdana is presented as the foundation that matures into genuine spiritual knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) riverbank is highlighted as sanctified by the presence of Nara-Nārāyaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is on bhakti leading to jñāna.