Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

तस्माद्धर्मपरैर्विप्रैः क्षत्रशूद्रविशादिभिः । सदा सेव्या महाभागा धर्मवृद्ध्यर्थकारिभिः

Transliteration

tasmāddharmaparairvipraiḥ kṣatraśūdraviśādibhiḥ | sadā sevyā mahābhāgā dharmavṛddhyarthakāribhiḥ

Translation

म्हणून धर्मपरायण ब्राह्मणांनी तसेच क्षत्रिय, शूद्र, वैश्य इत्यादींनी—धर्मवृद्धी व कल्याण इच्छिणाऱ्यांनी—त्या महाभागा (नर्मदा)ची सदैव सेवा-पूजा करावी.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Causal connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् निपातः (indeclinable in sense “therefore/from that reason”)

• धर्मपरैः: by those devoted to dharma
• धर्मपरैः: Karta (Agent, instrumental with passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मे पराः)

• विप्रैः: by brāhmaṇas
• विप्रैः: Karta (Agent, instrumental with passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• क्षत्रशूद्रविशादिभिः: by kṣatriyas, śūdras, vaiśyas, and others
• क्षत्रशूद्रविशादिभिः: Karta (Agent, instrumental with passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्र + शूद्र + विश + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (क्षत्रशूद्रविशाः) + ‘आदि’ (etc.)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: always)

• सेव्या: should be served
• सेव्या: Kriyā (Predicate: “should be served”)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य/अनर्हकृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय—‘सेवितव्या’

• महाभागा: most fortunate/illustrious
• महाभागा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् भागः यस्याः) विशेषण (of Narmadā)

• धर्मवृद्ध्यर्थकारिभिः: by those who promote the growth of dharma
• धर्मवृद्ध्यर्थकारिभिः: Karta (Agent, instrumental with passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + वृद्धि + अर्थ + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (धर्मवृद्ध्यर्थं कारिणः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate narrative context; explicit in Adhyāya 9 opening)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A broad ghat on the Narmadā where brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras stand together offering lamps and water, symbolizing shared dharma; the river-goddess blesses them with a calm gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (implied as the one to be served)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to a sacred tīrtha that increases dharma is a universal duty for all righteous people, beyond social divisions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā), presented as the auspicious, ever-to-be-served sacred river.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous sevā/reverence to Narmadā—regular devotional attendance, pilgrimage, and dharmic conduct associated with the tīrtha.