Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तावद्गर्जन्ति यज्ञाश्च वनक्षेत्रादयो भृशम् । यावन्न नर्मदानामकीर्तनं क्रियते कलौ

Transliteration

tāvadgarjanti yajñāśca vanakṣetrādayo bhṛśam | yāvanna narmadānāmakīrtanaṃ kriyate kalau

Translation

ตราบใดที่ในกลียุคยังมิได้ประกอบการสวดกีรตนะพระนามนรมทา ตราบนั้นยัญญะและสถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์อันเลื่องชื่อ—ป่า เขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์ และอื่น ๆ—ยังประกาศความยิ่งใหญ่ของตนด้วยเสียงกึกก้อง

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (so long)

• गर्जन्ति: roar, resound
• गर्जन्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• यज्ञाः: sacrifices
• यज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

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

• वनक्षेत्रादयः: forests, sacred fields, and the like
• वनक्षेत्रादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana + kṣetra + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; द्वन्द्वः (वनं च क्षेत्रं च) + आदि-प्रत्ययार्थ (etc.)

• भृशम्: greatly, intensely
• भृशम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhṛśam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'excessively')

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (until/as long as)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• नर्मदानामकीर्तनम्: chanting/recitation of Narmadā’s name
• नर्मदानामकीर्तनम्: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā + nāma + kīrtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः नाम्नः कीर्तनम्)

• क्रियते: is done, is performed
• क्रियते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Grand yajña fires and renowned forests/holy fields personified proclaim greatness, but a chorus chanting ‘Narmadā’ causes their flames to soften and their voices to quiet, as the river-goddess radiates supremacy.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Yajña
• Kali Yuga
• Vana
• Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali yuga, nāma-kīrtana of Narmadā is elevated as a powerful practice surpassing many public religious claims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā/Revā—specifically her nāma (name) as a portable tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Narmadā-nāma-kīrtana (chanting/praising the name of Narmadā), emphasized as Kali-yuga-suitable practice.