Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

नमस्यामो नरं देवं तथा नारायणं हरिम् । नमो नराय नम्याय नमो नारायणाय च

Transliteration

namasyāmo naraṃ devaṃ tathā nārāyaṇaṃ harim | namo narāya namyāya namo nārāyaṇāya ca

Translation

नमस्यामो नरं देवं तथा नारायणं हरिम् । नमो नराय नम्याय नमो नारायणाय च ॥

Word by Word

• नमस्यामः: we salute
• नमस्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् (नामधातु/धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (we bow/salute)

• नरम्: Nara
• नरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अप्पोजिशन/विशेष्य (Accusative singular)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अनुक्रम-निर्देशक (indeclinable adverb/conjunction: also/likewise)

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• हरिम्: Hari
• हरिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत् निपात)
• Form: अव्ययम्; नमस्कारार्थक-निपातः (indeclinable interjection: salutation)

• नराय: to Nara
• नराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Dative singular)

• नम्याय: to the venerable one
• नम्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नम्य (प्रातिपदिक; √नम् + यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् ‘नम्यः’ (worthy of bowing)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; नमस्कारार्थक-निपातः

• नारायणाय: to Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Dative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction: and)

Speaker

Narratorial voice (hymnic invocation within the Revā Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nara-Nārāyaṇa smaraṇa (Badarikāśrama archetype)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a king (nṛpa) in the surrounding frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two revered figures are invoked: Nara the divine sage and Nārāyaṇa Hari; devotees bow repeatedly in a rhythmic, mantra-like sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble salutation (namaskāra) to Nara and Nārāyaṇa is presented as a foundational act of devotion and alignment with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as an invocation within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography), rather than naming a single tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the implied practice is stuti and namaskāra (reverential praise and bowing).