Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

दशाभिः पञ्चभिः स्रोतैः प्लावयन्ती दिशो दश । शोणो महानदश्चैव नर्मदा सुरसा कृता

Transliteration

daśābhiḥ pañcabhiḥ srotaiḥ plāvayantī diśo daśa | śoṇo mahānadaścaiva narmadā surasā kṛtā

Translation

பதினைந்து ஓடைகளால் அவள் பத்து திசைகளையும் வெள்ளமென நிரப்புகிறாள். சோணா, மகாநதா, நர்மதா ஆகியவையும் ‘சுரஸா’—தெய்வப் புனிதம் பெற்றவை—ஆக்கப்பட்டன.

Word by Word

• दशाभिः: with ten
• दशाभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सङ्ख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचनम्; (instrumental plural)

• पञ्चभिः: with five
• पञ्चभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सङ्ख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचनम्; (instrumental plural)

• स्रोतैः: by streams/channels
• स्रोतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचनम्; (instrumental plural)

• प्लावयन्ती: flooding/causing to overflow
• प्लावयन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लु (धातु) + णिच्; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययः (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिकं कृदन्तम् (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; (agreeing with नर्मदा)

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचनम्; (accusative plural)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सङ्ख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः) द्वितीया बहुवचनार्थे; 'दश दिशः'

• शोणः: Śoṇa (river)
• शोणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; (nominative singular)

• महानदः: Mahānada (great river)
• महानदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + नद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā (river)
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; (nominative singular)

• सुरसा: fragrant/pleasant
• सुरसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; (predicate adjective)

• कृता: made/formed
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्ययः (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; (predicate: 'made/formed')

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) and her sanctified streams

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A majestic goddess-river (Revā/Narmadā) radiates divinity as fifteen luminous streams surge outward, symbolically washing the ten directions; named rivers appear as attendant currents.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā (context)
• Śoṇa River
• Mahānadā River
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma frames rivers as channels of divine grace, forming a sacred network that purifies lands and beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A network of tīrtha-rivers—especially Narmadā—presented within the broader sanctity associated with Gaṅgā’s divine flow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive of sacred hydrology rather than prescribing a rite.