Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । साधु साधु महाबाहो सोमवंशविभूषण । पृष्टोऽस्मि दुर्लभं तीर्थं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं परम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | sādhu sādhu mahābāho somavaṃśavibhūṣaṇa | pṛṣṭo'smi durlabhaṃ tīrthaṃ guhyādguhyataraṃ param

Translation

শ্ৰী মাৰ্কণ্ডেয় ঋষিয়ে ক’লে: সাধু, সাধু, হে মহাবাহু, সোমবংশৰ ভূষণ! তুমি মোক এক দুষ্প্ৰাপ্য তীৰ্থৰ বিষয়ে সুধিছা—সৰ্বোচ্চ, আৰু গোপনৰো অধিক গোপন।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + मार्कण्डेय (कर्मधारयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• साधु: well done / good
• साधु: Sambandha/Prayojaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसार्थक-निपात (particle of approval)

• साधु: indeed, well
• साधु: Sambandha/Prayojaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—महा + बाहु (तत्पुरुषः)

• सोमवंशविभूषण: O ornament of the Soma dynasty
• सोमवंशविभूषण: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमवंश + विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—सोमवंशस्य विभूषणम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• पृष्टः: (I am) asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अहम्) इति कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• दुर्लभम्: rare, hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तīर्थम् इति)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• गुह्यात्: than (what is) secret
• गुह्यात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; तुलना-प्रयोगे (than secret)

• गुह्यतरम्: more secret
• गुह्यतरम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य + तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तर्हि-प्रत्ययान्त (comparative) विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guhya-tīrtha on Revā (unnamed in this verse; anticipatory)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Soma-vaṃśa kṣatriya (ornament of the Lunar dynasty; specific name not in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-āśrama setting: sage Mārkaṇḍeya, serene and radiant, praises a royal/questioner of the Soma lineage, signaling the opening of a secret tīrtha teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Somavaṃśa (Lunar dynasty)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent questioning about dharma and tīrthas opens access to rare, profound sacred knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a ‘rare and secret’ tīrtha; its specific identification follows in the subsequent narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a commendation and preface to the tīrtha’s explanation.