Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । देवदेवेन वै तप्तं तपः पूर्वं युधिष्ठिर । विज्ञप्तेन सुरैः सर्वैरुमादेवी विवाहिता

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | devadevena vai taptaṃ tapaḥ pūrvaṃ yudhiṣṭhira | vijñaptena suraiḥ sarvairumādevī vivāhitā

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Einst, o Yudhiṣṭhira, übte der Gott der Götter strenge Askese; und auf Bitten aller Devas wurde Umādevī ihm zur Gemahlin gegeben.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• देवदेवेन: by the god of gods (Śiva)
• देवदेवेन: Karana/Agent-Instrument (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक; देव + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तप्तम्: performed (as austerity)/undertaken
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (तपः इति) विशेषणम्

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (वाक्य-विषयः)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• विज्ञप्तेन: upon being requested
• विज्ञप्तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√ज्ञप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘विज्ञप्त’ = ‘requested/informed’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग तृतीया, एकवचन; अत्र तृतीया (हेतौ/निमित्ते)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana/Agent-Instrument (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (सुरैः इति)

• उमादेवी: Goddess Umā
• उमादेवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा-देवी (प्रातिपदिक; उमा + देवी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विवाहिता: was married
• विवाहिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√वह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (was married)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: Śiva as Devadeva in austere meditation, gods assembled in supplication, culminating in the auspicious wedding of Umādevī—an event foreshadowing Skanda’s mission.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Śiva (Devadeva)
• the Devas
• Umā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is restored through divine discipline (tapas) and auspicious union, setting the stage for dharmic outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it provides mythic background connected to the Narmadā tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse references tapas and the divine marriage as narrative causes.