Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ऋषिभिर्दशकोटिभिर्नर्मदातीरवासिभिः । विभक्तेयं विभक्ताङ्गी नर्मदा शर्मदा नृणाम्

Transliteration

ṛṣibhirdaśakoṭibhirnarmadātīravāsibhiḥ | vibhakteyaṃ vibhaktāṅgī narmadā śarmadā nṛṇām

Translation

நர்மதா கரையில் வாழ்ந்த பத்து கோடி ரிஷிகள், உறுப்புகள் முறையாகப் பகுக்கப்பட்ட இந்நர்மதையைப் பகுத்தனர்; நர்மதா மனிதர்க்கு நலமளிப்பவள்.

Word by Word

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• दशकोटिभिः: by ten crores (of)
• दशकोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-कोटि (प्रातिपदिक; दश + कोटि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कोटि-शब्द), तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• नर्मदातीरवासिभिः: by dwellers on the Narmadā’s bank
• नर्मदातीरवासिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-तीर-वासी (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + तीर + वासी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• विभक्ता: divided/portioned
• विभक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि√भज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Pronoun, Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• विभक्ताङ्गी: having divided limbs/parts
• विभक्ताङ्गी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभक्त-अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक; विभक्त + अङ्गी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषण

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• शर्मदा: giver of happiness/comfort
• शर्मदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक; शर्म + दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषण

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Plural

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda Purāṇa narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra tīrthas (collective)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast assembly of sages lining both banks of the Narmadā, ritually demarcating sacred segments; the river appears as a luminous goddess whose body is symbolically ‘portioned’ into tīrthas, blessing humanity.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Narmadā’s sanctity is upheld by the collective tapas of sages, making her a source of peace and welfare for humanity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā’s banks (Narmadā-tīra) as a vast tīrtha-region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied ideal of tīra-vāsa (dwelling on the riverbank) for sustained sādhana, though no single rite is specified.