Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मघ्नश्च सुरापश्च स्तेयी च गुरुतल्पगः । माहात्म्यं नर्मदायास्तु श्रुत्वा पापबहिष्कृताः

Transliteration

brahmaghnaśca surāpaśca steyī ca gurutalpagaḥ | māhātmyaṃ narmadāyāstu śrutvā pāpabahiṣkṛtāḥ

Translation

แม้ผู้ฆ่าพราหมณ์ ผู้ดื่มสุรา ผู้ลักขโมย และผู้ล่วงละเมิดแท่นบรรทมของครู—เพียงได้สดับมหาตมยะของแม่น้ำนรมทา ก็ถูกขจัดบาปออกสิ้น

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मघ्नः: slayer of a brāhmaṇa
• ब्रह्मघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ब्रह्महन्ता (brahmin-slayer)

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

• सुरापः: liquor-drinker
• सुरापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा + प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सुरापः = सुरापानकर्ता (drinker of liquor)

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

• स्तेयी: thief
• स्तेयी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: steya + in (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; स्तेयिन् (thief)

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

• गुरुतल्पगः: one who violates the guru’s bed
• गुरुतल्पगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु + तल्प + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; गुरु-तल्प-गः = गुरुपत्नीगमनकर्ता (violator of guru's bed)

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• नर्मदायाः: of Narmadā
• नर्मदायाः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• तु: indeed, however
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (particle)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• पापबहिष्कृताः: expelled from sins, freed of sins
• पापबहिष्कृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + बहिस्-उपसर्ग + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (एते जनाः)

Speaker

Deductive (Revākhaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa conveying the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, burdened sinner figures (brahma-ghna, surāpa, steya, guru-talpa-ga) shown with shadowy aura; as they listen to Narmadā-māhātmya, the shadows peel away like smoke; the river appears luminous, with Śiva’s blessing sign above.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing (śravaṇa) the Narmadā’s Māhātmya is portrayed as powerfully purifying, capable of expelling even grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred river Narmadā (Revā) and her tīrthas as a whole, central to the Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa—listening to the Narmadā Māhātmya.