Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

नर्म चैभ्यो ददे यस्मात्तत्कृतैश्चेष्टितैः पृथक् । भविष्यसि वरारोहे सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा तु नर्मदा

Transliteration

narma caibhyo dade yasmāttatkṛtaiśceṣṭitaiḥ pṛthak | bhaviṣyasi varārohe saricchreṣṭhā tu narmadā

Translation

Vì nàng đã ban niềm hoan hỷ cho các gaṇa và chư thiên bằng những cử chỉ đùa vui riêng biệt của mình, hỡi người có vòng hông mỹ lệ, nàng sẽ trở thành bậc tối thượng trong các dòng sông—bởi thế được gọi là Narmadā.

Word by Word

• नर्म: joke, laughter, jest
• नर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

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

• एभ्यः: from these (persons/things)
• एभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5), बहुवचन; (ablative plural)

• ददे: gave
• ददे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (3rd person singular perfect)

• यस्मात्: because of which; since
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; (ablative singular)

• तत्-कृतैः: by those done by him/that; by such deeds
• तत्-कृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; कृत (past passive participle) — तृतीया (3), बहुवचन, पुं/नपुंसक; (instrumental plural)

• चेष्टितैः: by (his) acts/gestures
• चेष्टितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टित (चेष्ट्/चेष्टा-धातु/प्रातिपदिक; क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अर्थे कर्म), तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; (instrumental plural)

• पृथक्: separately, distinctly
• पृथक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; (2nd person singular future)

• वरारोहे: O fair-hipped one
• वरारोहे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आरोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; (vocative singular)

• सरित्-श्रेष्ठा: best among rivers
• सरित्-श्रेष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (nominative singular)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā (river)
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (nominative singular)

Speaker

Śiva (Pinākadhṛk), as the namer within the narrative

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant river-goddess is blessed as ‘best of rivers’ while celestial attendants (gaṇas/devas) smile at her playful acts; the river’s name is proclaimed as Narmadā.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Śiva (implicit as speaker)
• Gaṇas/Devas (implied by 'ebhyaḥ')

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rivers are not mere geography; they are divine persons whose very ‘name’ encodes grace—Narmadā as the giver of spiritual joy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā/Revā river-tīrtha is explicitly exalted as ‘best among rivers’ (saritśreṣṭhā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse provides the name-derivation that supports later practices like snāna and tīrtha-yātrā on Narmadā.