Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

यज्ञोपवीतैश्च शुभैरक्षसूत्रैश्च भारत । कूलद्वये महापुण्या नर्मदोदधिगामिनी

Transliteration

yajñopavītaiśca śubhairakṣasūtraiśca bhārata | kūladvaye mahāpuṇyā narmadodadhigāminī

Translation

اے بھارت! دونوں کناروں پر مبارک یَجنوپویت اور اَکش سُوتر (جپ مالا) کے ساتھ، نہایت پُنیہ والی نرمدا سمندر کی طرف بہتی چلی جاتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• यज्ञोपवीतैः: with sacred threads
• यज्ञोपवीतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ-उपवीत (प्रातिपदिक; यज्ञ + उपवीत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शुभैः: auspicious
• शुभैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; विशेषण (यज्ञोपवीत/अक्षसूत्रयोः)

• अक्षसूत्रैः: with rosaries (strings of beads)
• अक्षसूत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष-सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक; अक्ष + सूत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कूलद्वये: on both banks
• कूलद्वये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल-द्वय (प्रातिपदिक; कूल + द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• महापुण्या: greatly holy
• महापुण्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पुण्य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषण (नर्मदा)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• उदधिगामिनी: going to the ocean
• उदधिगामिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदधि-गामिनी (प्रातिपदिक; उदधि + गामिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda Purāṇa narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (ubhayakūla-mahāpuṇya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Narmadā flowing majestically toward the ocean, with both banks lined by ascetics wearing sacred threads and holding rosaries; the river appears as a luminous ribbon connecting inland forests to the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Ocean (udadhi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy river becomes a moving field of merit when its shores are filled with disciplined, devotional practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The entire Narmadā, especially her twin banks (kūla-dvaya) as a continuous tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of yajñopavīta (sacred thread) and akṣa-sūtra (rosary) indicating Vedic observance and japa.