Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

जरामादाय तद्गात्राद्भार्याभ्यां सहितस्तदा । पप्रच्छ विनयोपेतो मार्कंडं मुनिसत्तमम्

Transliteration

jarāmādāya tadgātrādbhāryābhyāṃ sahitastadā | papraccha vinayopeto mārkaṃḍaṃ munisattamam

Translation

ثمَّ حمَلَ الشيخوخةَ على أعضائه هو نفسه، ومعه زوجتاه الملكيتان، فسألَ بأدبٍ وخشوعٍ الحكيمَ الشريفَ ماركانديَيا، أفضلَ المونين.

Word by Word

• जराम्: old age
• जराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken on
• आदाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having taken/assumed)

• तत्: from that
• तत्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying gātrāt)

• गात्रात्: from (his) body/limbs
• गात्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भार्याभ्याम्: with (his) two wives
• भार्याभ्याम्: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), द्विवचन

• सहितः: accompanied
• सहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied subject)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विनयोपेतः: endowed with humility
• विनयोपेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनय (प्रातिपदिक) + उपेत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying subject); तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थ (विनयेन उपेतः)

• मार्कण्डम्: Mārkaṇḍa
• मार्कण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनिसत्तमम्: the best of sages
• मुनिसत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेष्य (object)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mārkaṇḍāśrama (within Dhundhumāreśvara kṣetra-cycle; contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvizottamāḥ / Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged Yayāti, supported yet dignified, arrives with Devayānī and Śarmiṣṭhā at Mārkaṇḍa’s āśrama; the sage sits under a tree near a small fire altar; the king bows and begins his respectful inquiry.

Characters & Entities

• Yayāti
• Devayānī
• Śarmiṣṭhā
• Mārkaṇḍeya (Mārkaṇḍa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When life turns toward decline, the wise seek guidance from realized sages with humility, making dharma-inquiry the true refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the teaching dialogue that will extol the kṣetra and its tīrthas in the following verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it prescribes vinaya (humility) and approaching a muni for instruction as a dhārmic discipline.