Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

उत्तमं सर्वतीर्थानां गीर्वाणैर्वन्दितं शिवम् । गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं पुत्र नाख्यातं कस्यचिन्मया

Transliteration

uttamaṃ sarvatīrthānāṃ gīrvāṇairvanditaṃ śivam | guhyādguhyataraṃ putra nākhyātaṃ kasyacinmayā

Translation

O Sohn, dies ist das Höchste unter allen Tīrthas—heilvoll und von Śiva erfüllt—selbst von den Göttern verehrt. Es ist ein Geheimnis jenseits aller Geheimnisse, und bis heute habe ich es niemandem offenbart.

Word by Word

• उत्तमम्: supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; शिवम् इति विशेषणम्

• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: of all pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (of all tīrthas)

• गीर्वाणैः: by the gods
• गीर्वाणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वन्दितम्: worshipped
• वन्दितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वन्द् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; शिवम् इति विशेषणम्

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गुह्यात्: than (what is) secret
• गुह्यात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे (than secret)

• गुह्यतरम्: more secret
• गुह्यतरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्यतर (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाख्यातम् इति विशेषणम्

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• आख्यातम्: has been declared/told
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (has been told)

• कस्यचित्: to anyone
• कस्यचित्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोगः (to anyone)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (कर्ता/करण; agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate chapter transition where he speaks in 101.1)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mārkaṇḍeśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍu-nandana (a Pāṇḍava addressee, per subsequent verse address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revelation moment: Mārkaṇḍeya leans toward the listener, indicating secrecy; devas in the sky offer flowers toward a Śiva-liṅga by the Narmadā, suggesting the tīrtha’s supremacy.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gīrvāṇa (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames certain tīrthas as divinely guarded secrets—approached with reverence, humility, and devotion to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

A supreme Śiva-associated tīrtha within the Revā (Narmadā) region; the precise site is introduced/expanded in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; it functions as a prelude announcing a hidden tīrtha’s greatness.