Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कियत्यः सरितां कोट्यो नर्मदां समुपासते । यज्ञोपवीतैरृषिभिर्देवताभिस्तथैव च

Transliteration

kiyatyaḥ saritāṃ koṭyo narmadāṃ samupāsate | yajñopavītairṛṣibhirdevatābhistathaiva ca

Translation

نرمدا کی عبادت کتنے کروڑ دریا کرتے ہیں؟ اور یَجنوپویت دھارن کرنے والے رشی، اور اسی طرح دیوتا، اس کی کس طرح پرستش کرتے ہیں؟

Word by Word

• कियत्यः: how many
• कियत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषणम्

• सरिताम्: of rivers
• सरिताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• कोट्यः: crores
• कोट्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• नर्मदाम्: Narmadā
• नर्मदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समुपासते: worship/attend upon
• समुपासते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• यज्ञोपवीतैः: with sacred threads
• यज्ञोपवीतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ-उपवीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य उपवीतम्)

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• देवताभिः: by deities
• देवताभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तथा-एव: just so/likewise indeed
• तथा-एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चयः; ‘तथा’ (adverb) + ‘एव’ (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

Speaker

An inquiring sage (listener) within the Revā Khaṇḍa dialogue

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (as sarva-nadī-śreṣṭhā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (questioner)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ceremonial riverbank: countless personified rivers as goddesses offer lotuses to Narmadā; Vedic sages with yajñopavīta perform arghya; devas hover with garlands and vessels; Narmadā enthroned as a flowing Devī.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Ṛṣi
• Devatā
• Yajñopavīta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sanctity is recognized across realms—by rivers, sages, and gods—affirming Narmadā’s exceptional tīrtha-mahattva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) herself as the preeminent sacred river-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only general worship/reverence (upāsanā) is implied; no specific vow, bath, or donation is detailed in this verse.