Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

पश्यामि तामत्र पुनश्च शुभ्रां महाभ्रनीलां शुचिशुभ्रतोयाम् । वृक्षैरनेकैरुपशोभिताङ्गीं गजैस्तुरङ्गैर्विहगैर्वृतां च

Transliteration

paśyāmi tāmatra punaśca śubhrāṃ mahābhranīlāṃ śuciśubhratoyām | vṛkṣairanekairupaśobhitāṅgīṃ gajaisturaṅgairvihagairvṛtāṃ ca

Translation

మళ్లీ నేను ఆమెను అక్కడ దర్శిస్తున్నాను—ప్రకాశవంతంగా, మహా వర్షమేఘంలా నీలవర్ణంగా, ఆమె జలాలు పవిత్రంగా మెరిసుతూ. అనేక వృక్షాలు ఆమె రూపాన్ని అలంకరిస్తున్నాయి; ఆమె చుట్టూ ఏనుగులు, గుర్రాలు, పక్షిసమూహాలు ఉన్నాయి.

Word by Word

• paśyāmi: I see
• paśyāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश्य्) (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Parasmaipada, Uttama-puruṣa, Singular

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of place

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• śubhrām: bright/white
• śubhrām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; agrees with tām

• mahābhra-nīlām: dark-blue like a great cloud
• mahābhra-nīlām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + abhra + nīla (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः: mahābhra-sadṛśa-nīlā (dark like a great cloud)

• śuci-śubhra-toyām: with pure, bright water
• śuci-śubhra-toyām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci + śubhra + toya (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; कर्मधारयः: śuci ca śubhraṃ ca toyaṃ yasyāḥ sā (having pure white water)

• vṛkṣaiḥ: with trees
• vṛkṣaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• anekaiḥ: many
• anekaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; agrees with vṛkṣaiḥ

• upaśobhita-aṅgīm: whose limbs are adorned
• upaśobhita-aṅgīm: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√śubh (शुभ्) (धातु) + aṅgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP) upaśobhita 'adorned'; तत्पुरुषः: upaśobhitāni aṅgāni yasyāḥ sā

• gajaiḥ: with elephants
• gajaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• turaṅgaiḥ: with horses
• turaṅgaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: turaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• vihagaiḥ: with birds
• vihagaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vihaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• vṛtām: surrounded
• vṛtām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vṛ (वृञ्) (धातु)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Feminine, Accusative, Singular; agrees with tām

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The river-goddess appears: a broad, dark-blue, shining river with crystalline highlights; banks lush with many trees; elephants and horses near the shore; birds wheeling overhead.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holy river is a theophany: purity of waters and beauty of creation become signs of the Goddess’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā and her riverbanks, portrayed as a living sacred realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse supports tīrtha-darśana and contemplative reverence of the river.