Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । कस्मिन्कल्पे महाभागा नर्मदेयं द्विजोत्तम । विभक्ता ऋषिभिः सर्वैस्तपोयुक्तैर्महात्मभिः

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kasminkalpe mahābhāgā narmadeyaṃ dvijottama | vibhaktā ṛṣibhiḥ sarvaistapoyuktairmahātmabhiḥ

Translation

ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର କହିଲେ—ହେ ମହାଭାଗ ଦ୍ୱିଜୋତ୍ତମ! କେଉଁ କଳ୍ପରେ ଏହି ପୁଣ୍ୟ ନର୍ମଦା-ପ୍ରଦେଶ ସମସ୍ତ ତପୋଯୁକ୍ତ ମହାତ୍ମା ଋଷିମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ବିଭକ୍ତ ଓ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ହୋଇଥିଲା?

Word by Word

• yudhiṣṭhiraḥ: Yudhiṣṭhira
• yudhiṣṭhiraḥ: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudhiṣṭhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative, 1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम् (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• kasmin: in which
• kasmin: Adhikaraṇa (Location/time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्/नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative, 7th), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• kalpe: in (which) kalpa/aeon
• kalpe: Adhikaraṇa (Time/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative, 7th), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• mahābhāgā: O greatly fortunate one
• mahābhāgā: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचनम् (Singular); कर्मधारयः (mahān bhāgaḥ yasya)

• narmadeyam: the Narmadā-section / Narmadā-related (portion)
• narmadeyam: Karta (Subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative, 1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• dvijottama: O best of Brahmins
• dvijottama: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचनम् (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dvijānām uttamaḥ)

• vibhaktā: was divided/apportioned
• vibhaktā: Kriya (Predicative passive state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + bhaj (धातु) → vibhakta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम् (Feminine) / नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (contextual agreement with narmadeyam as neuter suggests vibhaktam expected; text has vibhaktā), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः (क्त) used predicatively: ‘was divided’

• ṛṣibhiḥ: by sages
• ṛṣibhiḥ: Karaṇa / Kartṛ (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• sarvaiḥ: by all
• sarvaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचनम् (Plural); ‘all’ qualifying ṛṣibhiḥ

• tapo-yuktaiḥ: by those endowed with austerity
• tapo-yuktaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ṛṣibhiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचनम् (Plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (yukta) from yuj (धातु); तत्पुरुषः (tapasā yuktaiḥ)

• mahātmabhiḥ: by great-souled ones
• mahātmabhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ṛṣibhiḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचनम् (Plural); कर्मधारय-स्वरूपः (mahān ātmā yasya)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadeya (Narmadā-region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi addressed as dvijottama (likely the responding narrator in this frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, regal yet humble, questions a venerable brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi about the kalpa in which the Narmadā-region was divided by ascetic sages; a map-like river landscape hinted behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are understood through Purāṇic time (kalpa) and the tapas of ṛṣis; tīrtha-mahātmya is rooted in cosmic order and sage-established tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) sacred region (narmadeya) as a whole is invoked, setting up its māhātmya and origins.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a question that introduces the kalpa-history behind the Narmadā tīrtha network.