Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सकृत्स्नात्वा तथा श्रुत्वा नर्मदायां फलं हि तत् । आदिमध्यावसानेन नर्मदाचरितं शुभम्

Transliteration

sakṛtsnātvā tathā śrutvā narmadāyāṃ phalaṃ hi tat | ādimadhyāvasānena narmadācaritaṃ śubham

Translation

ผลบุญจากการอาบน้ำในแม่น้ำนรมทาเพียงครั้งเดียว ย่อมได้เช่นเดียวกันด้วยการสดับฟังพระเกียรติของนาง เรื่องราวอันเป็นมงคลของนรมทานี้—ฟังตั้งแต่ต้น กลาง จนจบ—ประทานบุญนั้นเอง

Word by Word

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: once)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having bathed’

• तथा: likewise; thus
• तथा: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thus/likewise)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having heard’

• नर्मदायाम्: in the Narmadā (river)
• नर्मदायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतुवाचक अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• तत्: that (is)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• आदि: beginning
• आदि: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• मध्य: middle
• मध्य: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• अवसानेन: by the ending/conclusion
• अवसानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), एकवचनम्

• आदिमध्यावसानेन: by (its) beginning, middle, and end (i.e., completely)
• आदिमध्यावसानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + मध्य + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), एकवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (आदि-मध्य-अवसान)

• नर्मदाचरितम्: the Narmadā narrative/deeds
• नर्मदाचरितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + चरित (कृदन्त; √चर् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः चरितम्)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A three-part narrative tableau: (1) opening invocation by the river, (2) mid-scene of devotees listening in rapt attention, (3) concluding benediction as one devotee steps into the Narmadā for a single snāna—showing equivalence of complete hearing and one bath.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) to a tīrtha’s māhātmya can confer merit comparable to direct pilgrimage acts like bathing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The river-tīrtha Narmadā (Revā), praised through her sacred narrative (Narmadā-carita).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing once in the Narmadā and/or listening fully to the Narmadā-carita from start to finish.