Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

इयं हि शांकरी शक्तिः कला शम्भोरिलाह्वया । नर्मदा दुरितध्वंसकारिणी भवतारिणी

Transliteration

iyaṃ hi śāṃkarī śaktiḥ kalā śambhorilāhvayā | narmadā duritadhvaṃsakāriṇī bhavatāriṇī

Translation

Kerana sesungguhnya dialah Śāṅkarī Śakti—kekuatan suci, suatu bahagian daripada Śambhu—yang dikenal dengan nama Ilā. Dialah Narmadā, pemusnah dosa dan penyeberang yang menyelamatkan makhluk melampaui bhava samsara.

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• शांकरी: of Śaṅkara
• शांकरी: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शांकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शक्तिः: power/energy
• शक्तिः: कर्ता (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कला: portion/manifestation
• कला: समानााधिकरण (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• इला: Ilā
• इला: समानााधिकरण (Name element)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• आह्वया: named/called
• आह्वया: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आह्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (named/called)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: समानााधिकरण (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुरितध्वंसकारिणी: destroyer of sins
• दुरितध्वंसकारिणी: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरित (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वंस (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिणी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √कृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दुरितस्य ध्वंसः → दुरितध्वंसः; तं करोति इति कारिणी)

• भवतारिणी: one who ferries across worldly existence
• भवतारिणी: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + तारिणी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √तॄ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भवस्य तारिणी)

Speaker

A Purāṇic narrator (contextual theological declaration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Revā personified as Śāṅkarī Śakti—radiant goddess arising from/identical with the river—bestowing purification and guiding beings across the ocean of becoming.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śambhu)
• Śakti (Śāṅkarī)
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Ilā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Narmadā is not merely water but a living Śakti of Śiva—able to destroy sin and lead devotees toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā/Revā as a divine tīrtha identified with Śiva’s power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse provides the doctrinal basis for snāna, japa, and pūjā at Narmadā as liberating practices.