Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

एवं त ऋषयः सर्वे तर्पयन्तः सुरान्पित्ःन् । न्यवसन्नर्मदातीरे यावदाभूतसम्प्लवम्

Transliteration

evaṃ ta ṛṣayaḥ sarve tarpayantaḥ surānpitḥn | nyavasannarmadātīre yāvadābhūtasamplavam

Translation

இவ்வாறு அந்த ரிஷிகள் அனைவரும் தேவர்களுக்கும் பித்ருக்களுக்கும் தர்ப்பணம் செய்து, உயிர்களின் மகாப்ரளயம் வரையில் நர்மதா கரையில் தங்கினர்.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; विशेषण (ऋषयः)

• तर्पयन्तः: satisfying/propitiating
• तर्पयन्तः: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्/तर्प् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• सुरान्: the gods
• सुरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• न्यवसन्: they dwelt/stayed
• न्यवसन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+√वस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperfect, 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada

• नर्मदातीरे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-तीर (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + तीर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Kala-avadhi (Temporal limit/कालावधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (until/as long as)

• आभूतसम्प्लवम्: up to the great deluge
• आभूतसम्प्लवम्: Kala-avadhi (Temporal limit/कालावधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-भूत-सम्प्लव (प्रातिपदिक; आभूत + सम्प्लव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (अवधि-लक्ष्य), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; कालपर्यन्तवाचक

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda Purāṇa narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra (āśrama-tīrtha ambience)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil riverside āśrama: sages seated in rows facing the water, offering tarpana with cupped hands; subtle presences of Devas above and Pitṛs below/behind, while the river flows timelessly, hinting at pralaya-scale endurance.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Ṛṣis
• Devas
• Pitṛs
• Samplava (dissolution)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained service to gods and ancestors through tarpana is portrayed as an enduring dharmic duty anchored in a tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā-tīra (the Narmadā’s bank), depicted as a long-standing seat of ṛṣis.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpana—ritual offerings to satisfy Devas (suras) and Pitṛs (ancestors).