Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

रेवायां पुरतः कृत्वा पुरा नन्दी गणेश्वरः । तपस्तपञ्जयं कुर्वंस्तीर्थात्तीर्थं जगाम ह

Transliteration

revāyāṃ purataḥ kṛtvā purā nandī gaṇeśvaraḥ | tapastapañjayaṃ kurvaṃstīrthāttīrthaṃ jagāma ha

Translation

กาลก่อน นันที ผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งคณะบริวารพระศิวะ ตั้งแม่น้ำเรวา (นรมทา) ไว้เบื้องหน้าเป็นดั่งผู้นำทาง แล้วจาริกจากตีรถะหนึ่งสู่อีกตีรถะหนึ่ง บำเพ็ญตบะและพิชิตความลำบากแห่งตบะ

Word by Word

• रेवायाम्: in/at the Revā (river)
• रेवायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरतः: in front
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक अव्यय (adverb: in front/before)

• कृत्वा: having done / having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: formerly/once)

• नन्दी: Nandī
• नन्दी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गणेश्वरः: lord of the gaṇas
• गणेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘नन्दी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपञ्जयम्: (uncertain reading) ‘tapañjaya’ (possibly a rite/name connected with tapas)
• तपञ्जयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपः + अञ्जय (प्रातिपदिक; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘तपः’ इत्यनेन सह समुच्चितकर्मरूपेण

• कुर्वन्: doing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तीर्थात्: from (one) sacred ford/place
• तीर्थात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थम्: to (another) sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed / (narrative particle)
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक अव्यय (particle used in narration)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Revā-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrthas (series)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandī, anthropomorphized as a powerful devotee or shown as Śiva’s bull with divine aura, travels along the Narmadā, stopping at successive ghāṭs; ascetics and forested banks accompany the journey.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Nandī
• Gaṇeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True pilgrimage is not mere travel; it is tapas—disciplined endurance and devotion—carried from tīrtha to tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region as a sacred pilgrimage landscape, approached through successive tīrthas along the river.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-yātrā undertaken with tapas (austerity/discipline); the verse frames pilgrimage itself as a religious practice.