Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । गच्छेत्ततः क्षोणिनाथ तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । सर्वपापहरं पुण्यं दशकन्येति विश्रुतम् । महादेवकृतं पुण्यं सर्वकामफलप्रदम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | gacchettataḥ kṣoṇinātha tīrthaṃ paramaśobhanam | sarvapāpaharaṃ puṇyaṃ daśakanyeti viśrutam | mahādevakṛtaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvakāmaphalapradam

Translation

শ্রী মার্কণ্ডেয় বললেন—হে ভূ-পতি! এরপর পরম শোভন, সর্বপাপহারী পুণ্য তীর্থ ‘দশকন্যা’ নামে প্রসিদ্ধ; সেখানে গমন করা উচিত। মহাদেব প্রতিষ্ঠিত এই পবিত্র স্থান ধর্মসম্মত সকল কামনার ফল প্রদান করে।

Word by Word

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

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

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

• ततः: from there/then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/ततस्)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• क्षोणिनाथ: O lord of the earth (king)
• क्षोणिनाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षोणिनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—क्षोणि + नाथ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

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

• परमशोभनम्: supremely beautiful
• परमशोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) तीर्थम्; समासः—परम + शोभन (कर्मधारयः)

• सर्वपापहरम्: remover of all sins
• सर्वपापहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) तीर्थम्/पुण्यम्; समासः—सर्वपापस्य हरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• पुण्यम्: meritorious/holy (place)
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दशकन्या: (named) Daśakanyā
• दशकन्या: Nama (Apposition/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (नामरूपेण); समासः—दश (संख्या) + कन्या (द्विगुः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• विश्रुतम्: well-known
• विश्रुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) तीर्थम्

• महादेवकृतम्: made by Mahādeva
• महादेवकृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महादेव + कृत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) पुण्यम्; समासः—महादेवेन कृतम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः)

• पुण्यम्: merit/holy (place)
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वकामफलप्रदम्: bestowing the fruits of all desires
• सर्वकामफलप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + फल + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) पुण्यम्/तीर्थम्; समासः—सर्वकामफलस्य प्रदः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśakanyā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed as kṣoṇinātha / narādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya points out a radiant river-ford named Daśakanyā; the tīrtha glows with Śiva’s presence, pilgrims approaching with offerings and folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Daśakanyā (Tīrtha)
• Mahādeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-founded tīrthas are portrayed as engines of purification and dharmic fulfillment, granting both cleansing of sin and attainment of desired fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daśakanyā-tīrtha, renowned within the Revā Khaṇḍa pilgrimage circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is to visit (gacchet) the tīrtha; specific ritual details are not stated in this verse.