Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । साधु साधु महाप्राज्ञ विरक्तस्त्वं युधिष्ठिर । गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं तीर्थं निर्मितं चक्रिणा स्वयम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | sādhu sādhu mahāprājña viraktastvaṃ yudhiṣṭhira | guhyādguhyataraṃ tīrthaṃ nirmitaṃ cakriṇā svayam

Translation

শ্রী মার্কণ্ডেয় বললেন— সাধু, সাধু, হে মহাপ্রাজ্ঞ যুধিষ্ঠির! তুমি বৈরাগ্যসম্পন্ন। এ তীর্থ গোপনীয়েরও অতিগোপন, স্বয়ং চক্রধারী ভগবানই এটি নির্মাণ করেছেন।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

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

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

• महाप्राज्ञ: O greatly wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; समासः कर्मधारय (महान् प्राज्ञः)

• विरक्तः: detached, dispassionate
• विरक्तः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरक्त (कृदन्त; वि+रञ्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

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

• गुह्यतरम्: more secret
• गुह्यतरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्यतर (प्रातिपदिक; तरप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

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

• निर्मितम्: made, constructed
• निर्मितम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मित (कृदन्त; नि+मा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• चक्रिणा: by the discus-bearer (Viṣṇu)
• चक्रिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: by himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः-प्रयोग (reflexive adverb: oneself)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnamed ‘guhyatama’ Revā-tīrtha established by Cakrī (Viṣṇu)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest-āśrama setting: sage Mārkaṇḍeya addressing Yudhiṣṭhira, indicating a hidden Viṣṇu-established tīrtha; aura of secrecy and sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Cakrin (Viṣṇu)
• Cakratīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Detachment and right inquiry open access to deeper dharma; some tīrthas are praised as ‘guhya’—known through tradition and worthy questioning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakratīrtha (the tīrtha associated with the discus-bearing Viṣṇu) in the Revā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse authorizes the sanctity of the place by stating it was established by Viṣṇu himself.