Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। मार्कण्डेय उवाच । अस्माहकं ततो गच्छेत्पितृतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । प्रेतत्वाद्यत्र मुच्यन्ते पिण्डेनैकेन पूर्वजाः

Transliteration

| mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | asmāhakaṃ tato gacchetpitṛtīrthamanuttamam | pretatvādyatra mucyante piṇḍenaikena pūrvajāḥ

Translation

মার্কণ্ডেয় বললেন—এরপর অস্মাহক নামক অতুল পিতৃতীর্থে যেতে হয়; সেখানে একটিমাত্র পিণ্ডদানে পূর্বপুরুষেরা প্রেতত্বাদি দুঃখ থেকে মুক্ত হন।

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘said/spoke’

• अस्माहकम्: of us/our
• अस्माहकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनस्य (genitive plural) वैदिक/पुराण-प्रयोगः; ‘our/of us’ (अस्माकम् इत्यर्थः)

• ततः: from there/then
• ततः: Apadana (Ablatival adverb/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थक/क्रमवाचक (from there/then)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘should go’

• पितृतीर्थम्: the Pitṛ-tīrtha (ancestral sacred ford)
• पितृतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पितॄणां तीर्थम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; object of गच्छेत्

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् पितृतीर्थम् प्रति; ‘unsurpassed’

• प्रेतत्वात्: from preta-hood
• प्रेतत्वात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; ablative (from the state of being a preta)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• मुच्यन्ते: are freed
• मुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘are released’

• पिण्डेन: by a piṇḍa (funeral rice-ball offering)
• पिण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental (by/with a piṇḍa offering)

• एकेन: with a single
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument-qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् पिण्डेन प्रति; ‘with one (single)’

• पूर्वजाः: ancestors
• पूर्वजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; subject of मुच्यन्ते; ‘ancestors/forefathers’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Asmāhaka Pitṛ-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (contextually) Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya instructs the pilgrim: at a quiet riverbank pitṛ-tīrtha, a devotee offers a single piṇḍa on darbha; subtle ancestral figures rise from shadowy preta-state into light.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Asmāhaka
• Pitṛ-tīrtha
• Piṇḍa
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate duty toward ancestors (pitṛ-dharma) is upheld; a properly performed piṇḍa at a powerful tīrtha can bring relief and upliftment to forefathers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Asmāhaka, described as an unsurpassed Pitṛ-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage to the Pitṛ-tīrtha and offering a piṇḍa for the ancestors (śrāddha-related rite).