Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले रामेश्वरमनुत्तमम् । तीर्थं पापहरं पुण्यं सर्वदुःखघ्नमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle rāmeśvaramanuttamam | tīrthaṃ pāpaharaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvaduḥkhaghnamuttamam

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Am südlichen Ufer der Narmadā befindet sich das unvergleichliche Rāmeśvara—eine erhabene Tīrtha, heilig und sündenvernichtend, der höchste Vertreiber allen Leids.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातुः—वच् (वचने)

• नर्मदा-दक्षिणे: on the southern (side) of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नर्मदायाः दक्षिणे)

• कूले: on the bank
• कूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• रामेश्वरम्: Rāmeśvara (name of tīrtha/deity)
• रामेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (रामस्य ईश्वरः)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• पापहरम्: sin-removing
• पापहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पापं हरति)

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्व-दुःख-घ्नम्: destroyer of all sorrow
• सर्व-दुःख-घ्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वाणि दुःखानि हन्ति)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara (on Narmadā’s southern bank)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya points toward a riverside shrine labeled Rāmeśvara; the Narmadā flows broad and luminous; pilgrims gather with waterpots; the shrine’s liṅga is hinted within a small sanctum; the southern bank is emphasized by sun-path and landscape orientation.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā
• Rāmeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is a vehicle of grace: certain tīrthas are praised as direct remedies for sin and sorrow when approached with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvara tīrtha on the southern bank of the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific act is prescribed in this verse; it introduces the tīrtha and its spiritual potency.