Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सेवितव्या सरिद्वरा । वाञ्छद्भिः परमं श्रेय इह लोके परत्र च

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena sevitavyā saridvarā | vāñchadbhiḥ paramaṃ śreya iha loke paratra ca

Translation

เพราะฉะนั้น ผู้ปรารถนาความเกษมสูงสุดพึงบำเพ็ญการรับใช้และสักการะแม่น้ำอันประเสริฐนี้ด้วยความเพียรทุกประการ ทั้งในโลกนี้และในโลกหน้า

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘सर्वेण प्रयत्नेन’ (पूर्ण-उद्योगेन)

• सेवितव्या: should be served/attended
• सेवितव्या: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय

• सरित्-वरा: the best river
• सरित्-वरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘वरा सरित्’ (श्रेष्ठा नदी)

• वाञ्छद्भिः: by those desiring
• वाञ्छद्भिः: Karta (Agent in participial phrase/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘वाञ्छन्तैः’

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (श्रेयः)

• श्रेयः: welfare/the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• परत्र: in the hereafter
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb), ‘अन्यस्मिन् लोके’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context: Revā-khaṇḍa injunction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā/Revā (saridvarā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Those seeking ‘parama-śreyas’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees actively serving the Narmadā: sweeping ghats, offering lamps, feeding pilgrims; the river shines as ‘saridvarā’. Two symbolic horizons—one with prosperous village life (iha), another with celestial path/light (para)—frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Active reverence (sevā) toward a great tirtha is dharma and yields well-being in both realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā/Revā, called the ‘best of rivers’ (saridvarā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā of the river—practical devotion such as honoring, visiting, and sustained service at the tirtha (general injunction).