Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

नर्मदा नाम विख्याता रुद्रदेहाद्विनिःसृता । यास्ताः कन्यास्त्वया दृष्टा ह्यर्चयन्त्यो महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

narmadā nāma vikhyātā rudradehādviniḥsṛtā | yāstāḥ kanyāstvayā dṛṣṭā hyarcayantyo maheśvaram

Translation

เรามีชื่อเลื่องลือว่า “นรมทา” กำเนิดออกจากพระวรกายของรุทระเอง และเหล่าสาวพรหมจารีที่ท่านเห็นนั้น แท้จริงกำลังบูชาอรจนาแด่พระมาเหศวร (ศิวะ)

Word by Word

• narmadā: Narmadā
• narmadā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Appositional marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देशक particle ‘by name’)

• vikhyātā: well-known
• vikhyātā: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + khyā (ख्या धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying Narmadā)

• rudra-dehāt: from Rudra’s body
• rudra-dehāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘रुद्रस्य देहः’ (Rudra’s body)

• viniḥsṛtā: emerged; flowed out
• viniḥsṛtā: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + nis + sṛ (सृ धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having issued forth’

• yāḥ: those who
• yāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• tāḥ: those
• tāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kanyāḥ: maidens
• kanyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• dṛṣṭāḥ: seen
• dṛṣṭāḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘seen’ (agreeing with kanyāḥ)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; emphasis/indeed)

• arcayantyaḥ: worshipping
• arcayantyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (अर्च् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘worshipping’

• maheśvaram: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narmadā-devī (personified river goddess)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra/brāhmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narmadā reveals herself as a radiant Devī arising from Rudra’s body/tejas; nearby, maidens (kanyās) perform Śiva-arcana with flowers and water on a liṅga by the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Rudra
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Narmadā is presented as a divine manifestation of Rudra, making Śiva-worship on her banks inherently sacred and power-bestowing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region—Narmadā-tīrthas within the Revākhaṇḍa of the Āvantya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-arcana (worship of Maheśvara) is highlighted through the maidens’ devotion.