Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महीपाल चन्द्रहासमतः परम् । यत्र सिद्धिं परां प्राप्तः सोमराजः सुरोत्तमः

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchenmahīpāla candrahāsamataḥ param | yatra siddhiṃ parāṃ prāptaḥ somarājaḥ surottamaḥ

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Dann, o König, soll man von Candra-hāsa-mata weiterziehen zu dem Ort, wo Somarāja, der Beste unter den Devas, die höchste Siddhi erlangte.“

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेय: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेय: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तदस्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—सम्बन्ध/क्रमवाचक (then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• चन्द्रहासमतः: from (the place/person) Candrahāsa-mata
• चन्द्रहासमतः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्रहास + मत (प्रातिपदिक); चन्द्रहास (खड्ग-नाम) + मत (मतुप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (possessing/connected with Candrahāsa)

• परम्: further; beyond
• परम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-स्थानवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• सिद्धिम्: attainment; success; siddhi
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सिद्धिम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्राप्तः: having obtained
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (having obtained)

• सोमराजः: King Soma (Moon)
• सोमराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सुरोत्तमः: best among the gods
• सुरोत्तमः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सोमराजस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Soma-siddhi-sthāna (site where Somarāja attained parā-siddhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king) / Yudhiṣṭhira (dialogue frame continues in next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya instructs the king on a riverbank route: a pilgrim party poised to depart from a shrine labeled Candra-hāsa-mata, pointing toward a luminous grove/temple where the Moon-god’s siddhi is commemorated.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Somarāja
• Candra-hāsa-mata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames pilgrimage as a progressive journey through siddhi-bearing sacred places, guided by revered sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Candra-hāsa-mata is named as a reference point, and another site is indicated as the place where Somarāja attained supreme siddhi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā injunction is given—“one should go” onward to the siddhi-sthāna; specific rites are not detailed in this verse.