Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

एवमुक्ता तु देवेन महापातकनाशिनी । दक्षिणं दिग्विभागं तु सा जगामाशु विक्रमा

Transliteration

evamuktā tu devena mahāpātakanāśinī | dakṣiṇaṃ digvibhāgaṃ tu sā jagāmāśu vikramā

Translation

جب دیوتا نے یوں فرمایا تو وہ—مہاپاپوں کو مٹانے والی—عظیم قوت سے آراستہ، فوراً جنوبی سمت کی طرف روانہ ہو گئی۔

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• उक्ता: (she was) addressed/said (to)
• उक्ता: Karma (Patient; predicate participle of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे कर्तृवाच्य-सम्बन्धः (spoken/said to)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• महापातकनाशिनी: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशिनी: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महापातकस्य नाशिनी = destroyer of great sins)

• दक्षिणम्: southern
• दक्षिणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; दिग्विभागम् इति विशेषण (accusative singular)

• दिग्विभागम्: the southern region/quarter
• दिग्विभागम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + विभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिशां विभागः = division/region of directions)

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

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (pronoun)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्सभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/वेगवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: quickly)

• विक्रमा: valiant/with great stride
• विक्रमा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; गुणवाचक विशेषण (having prowess/stride)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (as mahāpātaka-nāśinī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (mahīpati) addressed in the verse-context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A goddess-river personified, radiant and forceful, receives Śiva’s command and surges southward; attendants and sages witness her departure; the landscape opens into a directional journey.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (deva)
• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is divinely ordained; the river’s course is portrayed as guided by Śiva for the welfare and purification of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā’s tīrtha-landscape in the southern direction is introduced as part of her māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; this is a narrative transition describing the river’s divinely empowered movement.