Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

शोभते नर्मदा देवी स्वर्गे मन्दाकिनी यथा । यावद्वृक्षा महाशैला यावत्सागरसंभवा

Transliteration

śobhate narmadā devī svarge mandākinī yathā | yāvadvṛkṣā mahāśailā yāvatsāgarasaṃbhavā

Translation

ଦେବୀ ନର୍ମଦା ସ୍ୱର୍ଗର ମନ୍ଦାକିନୀ ପରି ଶୋଭିତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି—ଯେତେଦିନ ବନବୃକ୍ଷ ଓ ମହାଶୈଳ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ, ଏବଂ ଯେତେଦିନ ସାଗରସମ୍ଭବ ଜଳଧାରା ରହିଥାଏ।

Word by Word

• śobhate: shines, is splendid
• śobhate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śubh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• narmadā: Narmadā
• narmadā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• devī: goddess
• devī: Viśeṣya (Apposition/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपाधि/विशेष्य (appositional noun)

• svarge: in heaven
• svarge: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mandākinī: Mandākinī
• mandākinī: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mandākinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (as/like)

• yāvat: as long as, as far as
• yāvat: Sambandha (Extent/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-अव्यय (correlative: as long as/so far as)

• vṛkṣāḥ: trees
• vṛkṣāḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Extent marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mahā-śailāḥ: great mountains
• mahā-śailāḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Extent marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महान्तः शैलाः’

• yāvat: as long as
• yāvat: Sambandha (Extent/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-अव्यय (as long as)

• sāgara-saṃbhavā: ocean-born / originating from the sea
• sāgara-saṃbhavā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāgara (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘सागरात् सम्भवा’ (arising from the ocean)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā) Devī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narmadā as a radiant goddess gliding through primeval forests and beside massive mountains, with a faint celestial overlay of Mandākinī above—suggesting earth-sky correspondence and timeless flow toward the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Mandākinī
• Svarga
• Sāgara (Ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Narmadā is praised as eternally auspicious—her sanctity is portrayed as lasting as long as the natural world endures.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā River (Revā) itself—revered as a living tīrtha across her entire course.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here; the verse functions as a stuti (praise) establishing Narmadā’s enduring sacred status.