Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । नराणां पापनाशाय अगस्त्येश्वरमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra tīrthaṃ paramaśobhanam | narāṇāṃ pāpanāśāya agastyeśvaramuttamam

Translation

শ্রীমার্কণ্ডেয় বললেন—হে রাজেন্দ্র! তারপর সেই পরম শোভন তীর্থে গমন করা উচিত—অগস্ত্যেশ্বর, যিনি মানুষের পাপ নাশের জন্য শ্রেষ্ঠ ঈশ্বর।

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

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

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः)

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

• परमशोभनम्: most beautiful
• परमशोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम-शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तीर्थम् इति विशेषणम्; समासः—कर्मधारय (अत्यन्तं शोभनम्)

• नराणाम्: of men
• नराणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पापनाशाय: for the destruction of sins
• पापनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापस्य नाशः)

• अगस्त्येश्वरम्: Agastyeśvara (Lord Agastya)
• अगस्त्येश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अगस्त्यस्य ईश्वरः)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); अगस्त्येश्वरम् इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Agastyeśvara
• Agastya (implied)
• Śiva (as Agastyeśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a Śiva-tīrtha (Agastyeśvara) is taught as a dharmic means for purification and removal of sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agastyeśvara tīrtha—an eminent Śaiva sacred site within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā pilgrimage map.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is tīrtha-yātrā itself: ‘one should go’ to Agastyeśvara for pāpa-nāśa.