Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले तीर्थं कलकलेश्वरम् । विख्यातं सर्वलोकेषु स्वयं देवेन निर्मितम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle tīrthaṃ kalakaleśvaram | vikhyātaṃ sarvalokeṣu svayaṃ devena nirmitam

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Am südlichen Ufer der Narmadā liegt das heilige Tīrtha namens Kalakaleśvara, in allen Welten berühmt, vom Gott selbst erschaffen.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (उपसर्ग/उपाधि-प्रातिपदिक) + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• नर्मदायाः: of the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Visheshana (Qualifier of kūle/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कूले: bank, shore
• कूले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object of implied 'asti' / apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• कलकलेश्वरम्: Kalakaleśvara (name of the tīrtha/deity)
• कलकलेश्वरम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition to tīrtham)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलकल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विख्यातम्: renowned
• विख्यातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of tīrtham/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वलोकेषु: in all worlds
• सर्वलोकेषु: Adhikarana (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्वयम्: by himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-vishesana (Agent-modifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Reflexive adverb: oneself)

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/करण-कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• निर्मितम्: created, constructed
• निर्मितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of tīrtham/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + मा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalakaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya speaks, revealing a renowned shrine on Narmadā’s south bank; the temple appears as if arisen by divine will, with the river flowing beside ghāṭa steps and pilgrims arriving.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Kalakaleśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography teaches that certain riverbanks are divinely established tīrthas where dharma becomes accessible through place-based devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kalakaleśvara tīrtha, located on the southern bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the verse introduces the site and its divine origin.