Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

आदिमध्यावसानेषु नर्मदाचरितं शुभम् । यः शृणोति नरो भक्त्या शृणुध्वं तत्फलं महत्

Transliteration

ādimadhyāvasāneṣu narmadācaritaṃ śubham | yaḥ śṛṇoti naro bhaktyā śṛṇudhvaṃ tatphalaṃ mahat

Translation

نرمدا کی یہ مبارک حکایت—ابتدا، وسط اور انجام میں—جو شخص اسے عقیدت سے سنتا ہے، اب اس کا عظیم پھل سنو۔

Word by Word

• आदि: beginning
• आदि: Adhikarana (Locative context via compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (used as first member in compound; 'beginning')

• मध्य: middle
• मध्य: Adhikarana (Locative context via compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (used as compound member; 'middle')

• अवसान: end
• अवसान: Adhikarana (Locative context via compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (used as compound member; 'end/conclusion')

• आदि-मध्य-अवसानेषु: in the beginning, middle, and end
• आदि-मध्य-अवसानेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + मध्य + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (समाहार-द्वन्द्व): 'in the beginning, middle, and end'

• नर्मदा-चरितम्: the story/deeds of Narmadā
• नर्मदा-चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित (कृदन्त; √चर् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'नर्मदायाः चरितम्'

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying नर्मदाचरितम्)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यः (relative pronoun)

• शृणोति: he hears/listens
• शृणोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव: 'with devotion'

• शृणुध्वम्: hear (you all), listen
• शृणुध्वम्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तत्-फलम्: its fruit/result
• तत्-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'तस्य फलम्'

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तत्फलम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assemblage of devotees/ṛṣis (generic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated sūta/ācārya recites the Narmadā-māhātmya to attentive devotees; the river appears as a radiant goddess in the background, with the text’s beginning–middle–end symbolized by three lamps or three garlands.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti-filled listening to a sacred text, from start to finish, is presented as a complete and potent dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) is glorified through the praise of her carita/māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional śravaṇa of the Narmadā-carita in full (beginning, middle, and end).