Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अहं हि तव वाक्येन कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे । त्वत्तीरे निवसिष्यामि सदैव ह्युमया समम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ hi tava vākyena kasmiṃścitkāraṇāntare | tvattīre nivasiṣyāmi sadaiva hyumayā samam

Translation

ਨਿਸ਼ਚੇ ਹੀ, ਤੇਰੇ ਬਚਨ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ—ਅਤੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਦਿਵ੍ਯ ਕਾਰਣ ਕਰਕੇ—ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰੇ ਤਟ ਉੱਤੇ ਸਦਾ ਉਮਾ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਰਹਾਂਗਾ।

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• वाक्येन: by (your) word/command
• वाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणम् (instrumental)

• कस्मिन्: in what
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• चित्: some/any
• चित्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय-निपात)
• Form: निपात; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite particle: 'some')

• कारणान्तरे: in some other circumstance/reason
• कारणान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरणम् (in another circumstance/reason)

• त्वत्-तीरे: on your bank (riverbank)
• त्वत्-तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (your bank/shore)

• निवसिष्यामि: I will dwell
• निवसिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वस् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• सदैव: always
• सदैव: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• हि: indeed
• हि: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); निश्चयार्थ

• उमया: with Umā
• उमया: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सहार्थे (with)

• समम्: together
• समम्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; सहार्थक/तुल्यार्थक (together/along with)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing the river/goddess Revā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra — Śiva-Umā-nitya-sannidhāna

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Revā-devī (river goddess) or Devī/Umā (context suggests Devī addressed earlier; this verse reads as Śiva responding to her word)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, responding to Devī’s request, stands on the Narmadā bank with Umā; behind them the river glows as a goddess; a small liṅga shrine appears, indicating ‘nitya-vāsa’ and divine purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Umā
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes supremely sanctified when the Divine chooses to abide there; sacred geography is grounded in divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā) tīra—her riverbank, presented as a permanent abode of Śiva and Umā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse establishes the theological basis for pilgrimage—Śiva’s abiding presence at the riverbank.