Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र कल्होडीतीर्थमुत्तमम् । विख्यातं भारते लोके गङ्गायाः पापनाशनम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra kalhoḍītīrthamuttamam | vikhyātaṃ bhārate loke gaṅgāyāḥ pāpanāśanam

Translation

শ্রী মার্কণ্ডেয় বললেন—হে রাজেন্দ্র! তারপর উত্তম কল্হোড়ী তীর্থে গমন করা উচিত; যা ভারতভূমিতে প্রসিদ্ধ এবং গঙ্গার ন্যায় পাপনাশক।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त), क्रम/अनन्तरार्थ (then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; विध्यर्थ (should go)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अनुज्ञा/पुनरुक्त्यर्थ (here: emphatic/contrastive ‘indeed’)

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

• कल्होडीतीर्थम्: the Kalhoḍī tīrtha
• कल्होडीतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्होडी + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कल्होड्याः तीर्थम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of तीर्थम्)

• विख्यातम्: well-known
• विख्यातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्यात (कृदन्त; ख्या धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP)

• भारते: in Bhārata (India)
• भारते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• लोके: in the world/region
• लोके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• गङ्गायाः: of Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• पापनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशनम्: Visheshya/Predicate (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापस्य नाशनम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalhoḍī Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājendra (a king; addressed also as Pārtha in next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya instructs a king to proceed to Kalhoḍī Tīrtha; the riverbank shines with sanctity, and a symbolic Gaṅgā motif (white stream/lotus) appears to indicate equivalence.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Kalhoḍī Tīrtha
• Bhārata
• Gaṅgā
• Rājendra (Yudhiṣṭhira)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a praised tīrtha is presented as a direct dharmic means for purification, aligning one with sacred power embedded in geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kalhoḍī Tīrtha, described as an excellent and widely renowned sin-destroying sacred ford.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear prescription of pilgrimage—‘one should go’ to Kalhoḍī Tīrtha—implying tīrtha-sevā and bathing as the standard observance.