Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एतासां नर्मदा श्रेष्ठा गंगा त्रिपथगामिनी । दहते किल्बिषं सर्वं दर्शनादेव राघव

Transliteration

etāsāṃ narmadā śreṣṭhā gaṃgā tripathagāminī | dahate kilbiṣaṃ sarvaṃ darśanādeva rāghava

Translation

ان میں نرمدا سب سے برتر ہے، اور گنگا تری پَتھ گامنی ہے جو تین جہانوں میں بہتی ہے۔ اے راغھو! اس کے محض دیدار سے ہی تمام گناہ جل جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• एतासाम्: of these
• एतासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रेष्ठा: the best
• श्रेष्ठा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रिपथगामिनी: going in three paths (heaven/earth/netherworld)
• त्रिपथगामिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि-पथ-गामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (Singular)

• दहते: burns away
• दहते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• किल्बिषम्: sin, impurity
• किल्बिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• दर्शनात्: from (mere) seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• राघव: O Rāghava
• राघव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Reva (Narmadā) and Gaṅgā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Rāma (Rāghava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha gestures as if indicating two mighty rivers: Narmadā as foremost on earth, Gaṅgā descending from heaven, flowing through three realms; flames of sin metaphorically burning away at her sight.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Narmadā
• Gaṅgā
• Rāghava (Śrī Rāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha is not only ritual but transformative presence—darśana of a supreme river-tīrtha itself is purificatory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The river-tīrthas Narmadā (Reva) and Gaṅgā are directly glorified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (reverent seeing) of Gaṅgā is highlighted as a potent means of purification.