Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

नर्मदा विमलाम्भा च विमलेन्दुशुभानना । तमोभूते महाघोरे यस्मादेषा महाप्रभा

Transliteration

narmadā vimalāmbhā ca vimalenduśubhānanā | tamobhūte mahāghore yasmādeṣā mahāprabhā

Translation

அவள் ‘நர்மதா’, ‘விமலாம்பா’ (தூய நீருடையவள்), ‘விமலேந்து-சுபானனா’ (களங்கமற்ற நிலவுபோல் அழகிய முகமுடையவள்). பயங்கர இருளிலும் மாபெரும் ஒளியால் பிரகாசிப்பதால் அவள் ‘மஹாப்ரபா’.

Word by Word

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संज्ञा (proper name)

• विमलाम्भा: having pure waters
• विमलाम्भा: Visheshana (Adjective of नर्मदा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘विमलम् अम्भः यस्याः/या’ (pure-watered)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• विमलेन्दुशुभानना: whose beautiful face is like the pure moon
• विमलेन्दुशुभानना: Visheshana (Adjective of नर्मदा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल + इन्दु + शुभ + आनना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-श्रृंखला: ‘विमल-इन्दु-सदृशं शुभं आननं यस्याः’

• तमोभूते: when it has become darkness / in darkness
• तमोभूते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘तमोभूत’ = become darkness; अधिकरण

• महाघोरे: very terrible
• महाघोरे: Visheshana (of तमोभूते)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महान् घोरः’

• यस्मात्: because of which
• यस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महाप्रभा: of great radiance
• महाप्रभा: Visheshana (Predicate adjective of एषा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (also Vimalāmbhā, Vimalendu-śubhānanā, Mahāprabhā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narmadā as a radiant goddess emerging in a dark, fearsome landscape; her waters gleam pure, her face like a stainless full moon, illuminating devotees and the riverbanks.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Vimalāmbhā
• Vimalenduśubhānanā
• Mahāprabhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine river embodies purity and luminous grace—she dispels darkness (inner ignorance and outer dread) through her sanctifying presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā, praised through multiple epithets that highlight her purity and radiance as a sacred tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the passage functions as nāma-māhātmya, encouraging devotional remembrance and praise of the river’s holy names.