Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । मीनो भूत्वा पुरा कल्पे प्रीत्यर्थं ब्रह्मणो विभुः । समर्पयत्समुद्धृत्य वन्दान्मग्नान्महार्णवे

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | mīno bhūtvā purā kalpe prītyarthaṃ brahmaṇo vibhuḥ | samarpayatsamuddhṛtya vandānmagnānmahārṇave

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Vor langer Zeit, in einem früheren Äon, wurde der Höchste Herr zu einem Fisch; zur Zufriedenheit von Brahmā hob er die Veden empor, die im großen Ozean versunken waren, und stellte sie wieder her.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + मार्कण्डेय (कर्मधारयः)

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

• मीनः: a fish
• मीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having become’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कल्पे: in a (past) aeon
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• प्रीत्यर्थम्: for (his) satisfaction
• प्रीत्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—प्रीत्यर्थम् = प्रीतेः अर्थः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः), ‘for the sake of pleasure’

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• विभुः: the mighty one (Lord)
• विभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समर्पयत्: offered / presented
• समर्पयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्पय् (अर्प् causative; धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• समुद्धृत्य: having rescued
• समुद्धृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having lifted up/rescued’

• वन्दान्: the Vandā(s) (beings/people named Vandā)
• वन्दान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• मग्नान्: submerged, sunk
• मग्नान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मग्न (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण from √मज्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), ‘submerged’

• महार्णवे: in the great ocean
• महार्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—महा-अर्णव (कर्मधारयः)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast pralaya-ocean; the Lord as a great Fish rises with radiance, bearing or retrieving the Vedas (as palm-leaf bundles or luminous śruti-symbols) and offering them to Brahmā seated on a lotus.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Matsya (Mīna avatāra)
• Brahmā
• Vedas
• Mahārṇava (great ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sacred knowledge is endangered, the Lord intervenes to restore the Vedas and re-establish dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this avatāra episode; it supports the broader Jayavārāha tīrtha glorification by praising Viṣṇu’s saving acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is mythic-theological narration.